| Elaborate morphological traits (ornaments) can evolve if they increase the reproductive success of the bearer during competition for mates. However, such ornaments are very rare in females, potentially due to trade-offs between fecundity and ornaments. I examined sexual selection on female ornamentation in the dance fly Rhamphomyia longicauda. Female R. longicauda have two female-specific ornaments---inflatable abdominal sacs and pinnate leg scales. Using models of real females, I found that males prefer females with large ornaments, irrespective of the swarm sex-ratio. A selection analysis revealed stabilizing selection for the scale ornament only. However, only inflated abdomen area had a significant positive relationship with fecundity. Future studies should investigate the influence of viability selection and intrasexual competition on female ornamentation of this species. |
