Effects of mating experience on subsequent reproductive behaviour and sperm release in the spider Nesticodes rufipes

During a mating season, individuals encounter potential mates that have varied copulatory experiences. Such experience may influence the likelihood and nature of subsequent reproductive behaviour and sperm release within a female/male dyad. We examined the influence of an individual's sexual experience on its subsequent mating activities and that of a potential partner in a cobweb spider, Nesticodes rufipes. Our results suggest that an individual's prior sexual experience influenced its own subsequent motivation, but had little effect on that of the potential partner. For females, their prior experience decreased receptivity and increased aggressiveness towards the second male, while having little effect on the subsequent male's motivation (i.e. approach). Specific aspects of a female's initial mating experience (i.e. plug formation) did however influence the nature of subsequent copulation, which in turn influenced sperm release. For males, their prior experience decreased the latency to approach the female and increased the efficiency of pedipalp insertion, but male experience had little effect on the behaviour of the female. Our results suggest that mating experience may benefit both sexes in that (1) females that are not sperm limited may incur high costs from remating (time) and (2) males show experience-related improvement in copulatory efficiency.