The effect of fly size on mating speed, mating success, and duration of copulation in the housefly, Musca Domestica L.

The effect of fly size on the components of mating behavior in three geographical strains of houseflies was assayed by the use of single and female choice experiments. Significant, size differences were found among larval rearing densities and sexes. In single pair matings, no trends were found for mating success and mating speed among strains. Male size was found to influence mating success in female choice observations, but there was a disparity among strains on the nature of influence. Hence, the results found here indicate that mating speed and mating success were perhaps influenced by the interaction of size and metabolic differences (physiological age). The major trend observed in this study was that the duration of copulation was dependent on the relative size differences of mated flies.