Assortative mating by aggressiveness type in orb weaving spiders

Animals within a population differ consistently in behavior over time and/or across conditions. A general question is how such differences referred to as personalities are maintained through evolution. One suggested mechanism is a nonrandom mate choice, which has been supported in species in which mate choice associates with direct material benefits. Much less is known about mating patterns and personality in species where males provide only sperm and in which the benefits of female choice are based only on good and/or compatible genes. The bridge spider Larinioides sclopetarius Clerck (Araneidae) exhibits heritable between-individual differences in intrasex aggressiveness. We studied mating probabilities by aggressiveness type of both sexes, and success in sperm competition of aggressive versus nonaggressive males. We staged trials that resemble field conditions: 4 males (2 aggressive and 2 nonaggressive) had simultaneous choice between an aggressive and a nonaggressive female. Although there were no differences in initial approaches of male types toward female types, aggressive males mainly mated with aggressive females, and nonaggressive males more likely mated with nonaggressive females. Female aggressiveness type was not related to fecundity, which may be a consequence of equal food supply in the laboratory. However, in double-mating trials using the sterile-male technique to measure paternity of aggressive versus nonaggressive males, we found that sons of aggressive parents fathered relatively more offspring. We conclude that assortative mating by aggressiveness type might maintain between-individual differences in aggressiveness in L. sclopetarius.