SEXUAL CONFLICT AND THE EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF MATING PATTERNS - WATER STRIDERS AS A MODEL SYSTEM

Two core ideas in the study of mating systems and sexual selection are (1) the existence of a conflict between the sexes over mating decisio ns, and (2) that variation in ecological conditions drives the evoluti on of adaptive mating strategies and the diversification of mating sys tems. A recent burst of experimental studies of mating behavior and se xual selection in water striders has focused on the interaction of the se ideas and led to new insights into the evolutionary ecology of mati ng systems and sexual selection.