Heritability of body mass, a sexually selected trait, in an arctiid moth (Utetheisa ornatrix)

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 96; no. 16; pp. 9169 - 9171
• Main Authors: Iyengar, V.K, Eisner, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 03-08-1999; National Acad Sciences; National Academy of Sciences; The National Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: Adult insects; Alkaloids; Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Arctiidae; Biological Sciences; body weight; Body Weight - genetics; Butterflies & moths; chemical composition; Crosses, Genetic; Crotalaria spectabilis; Daughters; Diet; Evolution; Female; Female animals; females; food intake; food plants; Genomic Imprinting; Heritability; Larva; Male; Male animals; males; Mating behavior; mating preferences; monocrotaline; Moths - genetics; Moths - physiology; Regression Analysis; reproductive organs; sexual selection; Sons; Spermatophores; Utetheisa ornatrix; weight
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.16.9169

In the moth Utetheisa ornatrix (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), females mate preferentially with larger males. Large body mass is advantageous to both sexes: large males sire more young than small males, and large females have higher fecundity than small females. Here we report that body mass is heritable in both sexes, indicating that by choosing larger males females obtain genetic benefits for their offspring. Choosy females also receive extra nutrient and defensive alkaloid by way of their partner's spermatophores, but these gifts do not affect the heritability of body mass. These results indicate that by exercising mate choice female Utetheisa receive both direct phenotypic and indirect genetic benefits.