Polygynous males increase their reproductive success by fertilizing as many females as possible. However, this strategy can lead to costs for the males. This study focused on an atypical wolf spider that lives in webs, Aglaoctenus lagotis. Previous studies report polyandrous females, but little is known about the mating strategy of males and its potential associated costs. Our goals were to determine the potential polygyny and the changes in sexual behaviour, body condition and physiology of males throughout successive matings. Males were expected to mate with multiple females; males’ body condition was expected to decrease and male mating performance, including sperm transfer, was expected to decrease over successive matings. Males were exposed to successive virgin females every 3 days until the male did not court, was cannibalized or died of natural causes. Agreeing with our predictions, males were capable of multiple matings, showing an average of 5 ± 2 matings (range 3–11). Their mating performance decreased in successive matings and, although no changes were found in the behavioural patterns during the courtship over successive matings, the number of palpal insertions decreased. Unexpectedly, overall body condition did not decrease and males did not deplete their sperm supply. We found that 44% of the males were victims of sexual cannibalism after their third mating. The females that attacked or cannibalized males had less sperm stored in their spermathecae than those that did not. We discuss hypotheses that may clarify this scenario and the role of the cryptic female choice mechanism.

中文翻译：

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多头网状狼蛛连续性交中的男性表现和相关费用

一夫多妻制的雄性通过使尽可能多的雌性受精来增加其生殖成功。但是，这种策略会导致男性成年。这项研究的重点是生活在蜘蛛网中的非典型狼蛛，Aglaoctenus lagotis。以前的研究报告雌雄同体，但对雄性的交配策略及其潜在的相关成本知之甚少。我们的目标是确定潜在的一夫多妻制以及在整个连续交配过程中男性的性行为，身体状况和生理变化。预期雄性会与多个雌性交配；雄性的身体状况预计会降低，雄性的交配表现（包括精子转移）预计会在连续的交配中下降。男性每三天与连续的处女雌性接触，直到雄性不上场，被人食人亡或因自然原因死亡。与我们的预测一致，雄性能够进行多次交配，平均交配5±2次（范围3-11）。在连续的交配中，它们的交配性能下降，并且 尽管在连续交配过程中求爱过程中的行为方式没有变化，但手掌插入的数量有所减少。出乎意料的是，整体身体状况并未下降，男性没有耗尽其精子供应。我们发现，有44％的男性在第三次交配后成为性自相残杀的受害者。攻击或蚕食了雄性的雌性的精子中所储存的精子比没有雌性的精子少。我们讨论的假设可能会阐明这种情况以及神秘的女性选择机制的作用。攻击或蚕食了雄性的雌性的精子中储存的精子比没有雌性的雌性少。我们讨论的假设可能会阐明这种情况以及神秘的女性选择机制的作用。攻击或蚕食了雄性的雌性的精子中所储存的精子比没有雌性的精子少。我们讨论的假设可能会阐明这种情况以及神秘的女性选择机制的作用。