Meeting Abstract
46.5 Wednesday, Jan. 5 Nest building in two species of Engystomops from Ecuador: direct benefits in sexual selection? NARVAEZ, A. E.*; RON, S. R.; HOKE, K. L.; TRILLO, P. A.; Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador; Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador; Colorado State University; Colorado State University, Unversidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos aenarvaezg@gmail.com
Female mate choice can be influenced by indirect benefits, where females choose males that contribute genes to the brood that increase offspring survival or reproductive success. Female choice can be influenced by direct benefits, if females receive any investment from the male that increases the probability of offspring survival or the female’s reproductive success. We assess the direct benefits of male effort in Engystomops frogs, species in which males kick their legs to mix a protein matrix with the eggs, fertilize eggs and produce the foam nest. The foam avoids egg death in dry conditions. This study measured the effect of nest size on tadpole survival in E. pustulatus.We analyzed and compared the correlations between male body size and investment and nest architecture in E. petersi and E. pustulatus to determine whether variation in male effort could differentially contribute to offspring survival. We collected amplexed pairs, recorded nest-building behavior and measure male kicking effort. Nests were weighed, measured and the number of eggs counted. The influence of nest size on tadpole survival in E. pustulatus was evaluated under drying conditions. We showed that bigger nests increased the time of tadpole survival. Male physical effort was positively correlated with both egg number and nest weight in both species but not with volume or offspring survival. Males’ weights and physical condition were correlated with egg number. The correlation between nest size and tadpole survival suggests that direct benefits could influence mate choice in Engystomops, and that those benefits depend on the energy invested by males building nests.
