Results
Results from all statistical analyses are presented in Table S2. Males
approached females more often in patches with substrate cues of virgin
females, independently of the mating status of the females present on
the patch (substrate cues x mating status:
χ21=1.104, P=0.293; patch cues:
χ21=54.323, P<0.01; mating
status: χ21= 2.055, P= 0.152; Fig.
1a). Virgins accepted male mating attempts more often than mated females
and the frequency of female acceptance was higher in patches with cues
of virgin females (patch cues x mating status:
χ21=2.625, P=0.105; patch cues:
χ21=8.553, P<0.01; mating
status: χ21= 64.252, P=
P<0.01; Fig. 1b). The number of mating events was also
affected by both the substrate cues and the mating status of the female
independently (patch cues x mating status:
χ21=1.274, P=0.259; patch cues:
χ21=35.445, P<0.001; mating
status: χ21= 17.89, P<0.001;
Fig. 1c). Indeed, the number of mating events was lower when matings
were with mated vs virgin females and when they occurred on patches with
cues of mated vs virgin females (Fig. 1c).
The first mating of a male lasted longer when it involved virgin females
and when it occurred in patches with cues of virgins than when it
involved mated females and occurred on patches with cues from mated
females (patch cues x mating status: F1,60=0.002,
P=0.966; patch cues: F1,61=4.737, P=0.033; mating
status: F1,61=70.367, P<0.001; Fig. 2a).
Copulation duration was always significantly higher in patches with cues
of virgins than in patches with cues of mated females (patch cues:
F1,72.70=4.624, P=0.035; Fig. 2c) but it significantly
decreased across mating events and this decrease was steeper when males
were placed in patches with virgin females (copulation order x mating
status: F1,364.06=5.652, P=0.018).
Male survival on patches with cues left by virgin females and the
presence of virgin females was reduced compared to that of males on
patches with cues left by mated females or with mated females present
(patch cues x mating status:
χ21=0.496, P=0.481; patch cues:
χ21=4.283, P=0.038; mating status:
χ21= 8.774, P= 0.003; Fig. 3). The
number of matings did not influence male survival
(χ21=0.051, P=0.821).