Both male and female red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, have a high mating rate. Male beetles demonstrate clear pre-copulatory mate choice. We hypothesized that male choice is affected by the environment and test if male mate preference varies when the males' environment is changed. In the first experiment, the male environment was manipulated by changing food availability and keeping males in starvation or optimal nutrition environments. In the second experiment, the male environment is manipulated by changing its social nature and keeping males in isolation or group (mixed sexes) environments. After both experiments, two tests were performed: an egg production test and a mating choice test. Choosiness can be inferred by how quickly males’ mate, how long they investigate the female and the frequency and duration of copulations. We predicted that the males that are malnourished and isolated will be less choosy than the males that are nourished and not isolated. Our results support the hypothesis that environments do indeed have an effect on male mating behavior and potential choosiness.
