Summary
Both mass and nitrogen content of ejaculates transferred by male monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) varied with male history. Older virgins and males that had waited longer after a previous mating transferred larger ejaculates with more nitrogen. After mating, ejaculates were broken down within the female bursa copulatrix; mass and nitrogen content decreased at constant rates until little material remained. Because the time required for breakdown of large spermatophores is longer than the intermating interval, a significant portion of a male's investment could be used to benefit offspring from other males.
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Oberhauser, K.S. Rate of ejaculate breakdown and intermating intervals in monarch butterflies. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 31, 367–373 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00177777
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00177777