Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Sex-specific traits often involve trade-offs between survival and reproduction. The oogenesis-flight syndrome is a female-specific trait allowing energy reallocation from reproductive development towards the demands of long-distance flight. In migratory hoverflies, the effect of this energy trade-off is striking as males and females begin migration together, but males are progressively lost during the journey. Evidence from overwintering females suggests that female migrants are mated and in reproductive diapause; however, the timing of these events remains unclear. To address this, we examined female hoverflies along a latitudinal and temporal gradient during southward migration. Nearly all females were in reproductive diapause (83%) and mated (81%). While reproductive status remained constant, the proportion of mated females increased significantly as the migration period progressed. Additionally, laboratory hoverflies reared under autumn photoperiods showed a higher diapause incidence and developed larger flight muscles, but only when mated. These findings indicate that mating occurs partly during migration and further demonstrate that mating and reproductive state interact to shape energy allocation to flight machinery, providing a potential mechanistic link between reproductive status and migration capacity. Future research should explore how mating and sexual conflict shape these migratory phenotypes.
Source: Royal Society Open Science
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.260233
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,471
OpenAlex ID: W7216454867