Experimental crosses with and without risk of sperm competition were p
erformed in the locust Locusta migratoria, an orthopteran species with
a certain degree of first male sperm precedence. The results showed t
hat first mating males perform a significantly higher number of mating
s than non-first ones, which is paralleled to a shorter remating perio
d. Possible explanations of this differential male mating frequency ar
e discussed in the light of current hypotheses on sexual selection the
ory.