Firefly Courtship: Behavioral and Morphological Predictors of Male Mating Success in Photinus greeni

Differences among males in their mating success constitute an important aspect of sexual selection (Darwin 1871), and many male sexual traits have been identitied that enhance male competitive ability or attractiveness to females (Andersson 1994). Male-biased breeding sex ratios are expected to intensify male–male competition and simultaneously cause females to become more selective due to reduced risk of lost mating opportunities (Emlen & Oring 1977; Partridge & Endler 1987; Real 1990). When male courtship attractiveness is based on conspicuous visual or acoustic signals, predation risk can also exert a major influence on mating behaviors and courtship signal evolution (Cade 1975; Endler 1980; Burk 1982; Ryan et al. 1982; Lloyd 1997). Photinus fireflies are highly amenable for studies of courtship behavior because both sexes produce bioluminescent courtship signals (Lloyd 1966; Buck & Buck 1972; Carlson & Copeland 1985). The search phase of Photinus courtship begins near dusk, when males fly at 1–2 m elevations emitting advertisement flashes to stationary females perched near the ground. Females respond to a subset of males by producing their own flash. Many Photinus species exhibit a non-resource-based lek mating system in which stationary females simultaneously assess many signaling males (Cicero 1983; Vencl & Carlson 1998; Lewis &Wang 1991; Cratsley & Lewis 2005). Correspondence Sara M. Lewis, Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA. E-mail: [email protected]