Sexual selection across sensory modalities: female choice of male behavioral and gustatory displays

摘要

Female dung beetles prefer males that court vigorously and smell different to the average male. Males of many species have traits that influence the likelihood of being accepted as a mate by females. Previous work on bull-horned dung beetles revealed that males who courted more vigorously were more successful in securing a mating. Here, we show that independently of courtship activity, chemicals on the cuticle of this species also contribute to male mating success.