LIGHT PATTERNS AS CUES FOR MATE CHOICE IN THE LEKKING WHITE-THROATED MANAKIN (CORAPIPO-GUTTURALIS)

We explored in an exploded lek species the relationships between three alternatives hypotheses for typical skewed male mating success: (1) f emale preference for display-site characteristics; (2) female preferen ce for male phenotypic traits; and (3) mate choice determined by the o utcome of male dominance interactions. The possible role of these mech anisms of female choice was examined in the White-throated Manakin (Co rapipo gutturalis), a species in which males display on the top of mes sy fallen logs lying on the primary forest floor. Data on light intens ity at the display site, lek attendance, male calling and display rate s, visits by males and females, and mating success were collected on s ix males at a single lek. The two males with the brightest two arenas received high rates of female visitation and performed 71% of the mati ng attempts. However, only one of them successfully copulated because the other male was always disrupted by visiting males. The results sug gest that light properties of the display site and attendance of the m ale determine the attractiveness of male display to females, whereas m ale interactions subsequently mediate copulatory success. Brightness o f the display site appears as the primary cue for mate choice in C. gu tturalis, but this is not used by females as an indicator of the males ' relative dominance because the dominance status of males is not corr elated with the brightness of their display sites.