Abstract
Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) are a highly diverse group found in extremely different environmental conditions. For this and other reasons described in this chapter, they offer a novel and unique opportunity to explore hypotheses regarding the effect of abiotic environmental conditions on several life-history traits, and thus on their mating systems. Here we review the current knowledge about harvestman mating systems, and then elaborate on how environmental factors may influence their life cycles and reproductive biology. Next, we use comparative methods to show that the occurrence of maternal care in the order, as well as the length of mating seasons, may be influenced by an interaction between environmental temperature and precipitation. We discuss how these influences might extend to the types of mating systems found in the species of the order, and then suggest potential avenues to obtain and analyze the data required to improve our understanding of the macroecology of harvestman mating systems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Sexual Selection |
| Subtitle of host publication | Perspectives and Models from the Neotropics |
| Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
| Chapter | 5 |
| Pages | 115-162 |
| Number of pages | 48 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780124160286 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Alternative mating tactics
- Comparative methods
- Harem
- Male fights
- Mating system
- Parental care
- Polygyny
- Resource defense
- Scramble competition
- Sexual selection