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<p>Discrimination mechanisms that allow males to select female partners are expected to evolve when a significant portion of the female population is sterilized. In this study, we investigated whether males of the slipper limpet species <i>Bostrycapulus odites</i> discriminate between females that are parasitically castrated by a Microphallidae trematode and non-castrated females. We hypothesized that males would discriminate between healthy and parasitized females, spend shorter periods on parasitized females, displace longer distances when encountering parasitized females, and abandon females if castrated. Field data revealed that only 7% of the males observed in copulatory positions were on parasitized females. Laboratory experiments confirmed that males associated more frequently with non-parasitized females and exclusively copulate with healthy individuals. The time spent by males on non-parasitized females was almost twice as long as that spent on parasitized females. These results indicate that males bias their mating efforts toward healthy females, and in the few cases where they interact with parasitized females, copulation does not occur. Instead, males spend brief periods on castrated females. Although uncommon in nature, this discriminative ability would be expected to benefit males by enhancing their reproductive success through mating with healthy females.</p>

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Slipper limpet males discriminate between non-parasitized and castrated females

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月30日

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  • Emiliano H. Ocampo,
  • Carmen Gilardoni,
  • Jesús D. Nuñez,
  • Florencia Cremonte,
  • Tomás A. Luppi

摘要

Discrimination mechanisms that allow males to select female partners are expected to evolve when a significant portion of the female population is sterilized. In this study, we investigated whether males of the slipper limpet species Bostrycapulus odites discriminate between females that are parasitically castrated by a Microphallidae trematode and non-castrated females. We hypothesized that males would discriminate between healthy and parasitized females, spend shorter periods on parasitized females, displace longer distances when encountering parasitized females, and abandon females if castrated. Field data revealed that only 7% of the males observed in copulatory positions were on parasitized females. Laboratory experiments confirmed that males associated more frequently with non-parasitized females and exclusively copulate with healthy individuals. The time spent by males on non-parasitized females was almost twice as long as that spent on parasitized females. These results indicate that males bias their mating efforts toward healthy females, and in the few cases where they interact with parasitized females, copulation does not occur. Instead, males spend brief periods on castrated females. Although uncommon in nature, this discriminative ability would be expected to benefit males by enhancing their reproductive success through mating with healthy females.