Polygamous strategies of insects

The advantages of polygamous strategies in different groups of insects are analyzed according to the literature data. The majority of papers describe polyandry in insects. In polygamy, including polyandry and polygyny, the main role in reproductive success belongs to the copulatory characteristics of genitalia, including morphological traits, and especially to postcopulatory mechanisms, namely, cryptic female choice, sperm competition, and sexual conflict between males and females. Cryptic female choice includes repeated selective mating, selective use of sperm, and several other mechanisms underlying the sexual selection of females. Sperm competition in polygamous insects provides for intricate mechanisms in overcoming adverse consequences of this phenomenon. Sexually antagonistic coevolution is established as a result of sexual conflict. The differences between mono- and polygamous strategies are analyzed by the examples of closely related and systematically distant Lepidoptera species. It is inferred that polygamy of an individual is in many respects determined by insect body weight.