Male Transfer of Materials to Mates in the Caribbean Fruit Fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Diptera: Tephritidae)

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Abstract
In the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), females prefer to mate with large males. One explanation for this preference is a greater paternal investment passed in the ejaculate of bigger males. Tests conducted with radioactive males indicate that material from males moves from the spermathecae into unfertilized eggs in the ovaries and somatic tissue, suggesting female use of male resources. However, the amount of substance transferred was so small (an estimated 0.0001 of the male''s body weight) that its role as a paternal investment and the basis of female choice is questionable.