Multiple mating in Anastrepha fraterculus females and its relationship with fecundity and fertility

The occurrence of female remating has been widely reported in insects and the frequency at which it occurs and the factors driving females' remating behavior have been shown to be both species specific and variable within species. Herein, we studied the remating behavior of females from a well established laboratory colony and a wild population of the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), under laboratory conditions. Latency to first mating (number of days from the onset of the experiment until the first copula) was shorter for remating females than for females that did not remate. Two-day fecundity was higher for females that did remate than for monogamous females. Egg hatch was sustained after remating and was not affected by the number of times the female mated. However, when females willing to remate were prevented from doing so, percent egg hatch showed a significant drop. These results and the fact that remating occurred more often in more fecund females than in less fecund ones suggest that remating may be a response to sperm depletion. Remating frequency was similar in laboratory and wild flies, but 2-day fecundity was higher for laboratory than for wild females of similar mating status. Also, the length of the refractory period (time between first and second copulation) was longer for wild than for laboratory females. Differences between strains could be the result of artificial selection. Results are discussed from a theoretical and applied perspective in the context of direct benefits to females.