Adult responses to larval population size in the almond moth, Cadra cautella

Abstract

Juvenile population size may affect the potential for future mating opportunities and therefore potentially sperm competition; this may favour ontogenetic adjustments in sperm production. Theory predicts that males should optimize their ejaculatory investment in accordance with the risk of sperm competition. Evidence for these theories is typically revealed in males of highly polyandrous species. Whether such responses to environmental cues exist for females, or are maintained in mildly polyandrous species in which most females do not re-mate, is unknown. Male lepidopterans produce normal, fertilizing sperm (eupyrene) and non-fertilizing (apyrene) sperm. Apyrene sperm are associated with red..