The risk of cannibalism and male mating behavior in the Mediterranean praying Mantid, Iris oratoria

This study examined male behavior in response to the risk of cannibalism in the Mediterranean praying mantid, Iris oratoria (Mantodea: Mantidae). The risk of cannibalism was manipulated by placing males in one of two position s at the start of a mating trial: Frontal, where the males faced the female s' fronts (high risk of cannibalism), or Rear, where the males were behind the females, facing their posteriors (lower risk). Three male behaviors wer e examined in terms of risk-reduction: whether the male attempted to mount the female, the direction of his first mount attempt, and the time taken fo r him to attempt to mount. Initial position did not have a significant effe ct on whether males attempted to mount the females. Males showed a preferen ce for non-frontal mount attempts, and males placed Frontally were less lik ely to mount from their initial direction than were males placed in the Rea r. Males placed in the Rear attempted to mount sooner than males placed Fro ntally, especially if the males could approach and mount while remaining be hind the females. While the males approached the females, movements by both sexes resulted in changes in how the males faced the females, which might explain why the males' initial positions did not strongly predict attacks b y the females. Interestingly, attacks by the females did not result in cann ibalism; these attacks might reflect the females' state of sexual receptivi ty or they might indicate female choice. Female phenotype and the time of y ear influenced male behavior. Males were more likely to attempt to mount fe males of high feeding condition. In this study. this result is more compati ble with male choice for fecund females than with male choice for non-canni balistic females. Males became less likely to attempt mounts as the year pr ogressed. possibly a result of the onset of cold weather.