Nutritional status affects copula duration in the Mediterranean fruit fly,Ceratitis capitata (Insecta Tephritidae)

We examined the influence of male and female nutritional status on mating b ehaviour in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Weidemann). Pr otein-deprived females mated with males of smaller average size than those chosen by protein-fed females, indicating a relaxation of selectivity in th e usual mate preferences of this laboratory strain. The effect of female nu trition on copula duration was stronger than that of male nutrition, sugges ting that females exert substantial control over copulation. When both male s. and females were deprived of protein, copula duration for the first mati ng was prolonged. The interests of protein-deprived males may be served by mating for longer, due to their lesser ability to obtain further matings. T he benefit to females of mating for longer when protein-deprived is less ob vious, and may simply be due to a lesser ability to force the male to disen gage. Another possibility is that females obtain a nutritional benefit from the male, in which case the longer copulations would represent a confluenc e of male and female interests.