Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity in reproductive behaviour can be a strong driver
of individual fitness. For example, in species with high intra-sexual
competition, changes in socio-sexual context can trigger quick adaptive
plastic responses in males. In particular, a recent study in the vinegar
fly (Drosophila melanogaster) shows that males respond adaptively
to perception of female cues in a way that increases their reproductive
success, but we ignore the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon.
Here, we aimed to fill this gap by investigating the short-term effects
of female perception on male pre- and post-copulatory components of
reproductive success: a) mating success, b) mating latency and duration,
c) sperm competitiveness, and d) ejaculate effects on female receptivity
and oviposition rate. We found that brief sexual perception increased
mating duration, but had no effect on the main pre- or post-copulatory
fitness proxies. These results tie up with previous findings to suggest
that male adaptive responses to sexual perception are not due to a
short-term advantage, but rather to fitness benefits that play out
across the entire male lifespan.