DOI: 10.5061/dryad.1g347
title: Data from: Multiple mating reveals complex patterns of assortative mating by personality and body size

description: 1. Understanding patterns of non-random mating is central to predicting
 the consequences of sexual selection. Most studies quantifying assortative
 mating focus on testing for correlations among partners’ phenotypes in
 mated pairs. Few studies have distinguished between assortative mating
 arising from preferences for similar partners (expressed by all or a
 subset of the population), versus from phenotypic segregation in the
 environment. Also, few studies have assessed the robustness of assortative
 mating against temporal changes in social conditions. 2. We tracked
 multiple matings by stream water striders (Aquarius remigis) across
 variable social conditions to investigate mating patterns by both body
 size and behavioural type (personality). We documented temporal changes in
 partner availability and used a mixed model approach to analyse individual
 behaviours and changes in mating status recorded on an hourly basis. We
 assessed whether all or only a subset of individuals in the population
 expressed a tendency to mate with similar phenotypes. Our analyses took
 into account variation in the level of competition and in the phenotypes
 of available partners. 3. Males and females exhibited significant
 assortative mating by body size: the largest males and females, and the
 smallest males and females mated together more often than random. However,
 individuals of intermediate size were equally likely to mate with small,
 intermediate or large partners. Individuals also displayed two contrasting
 patterns of assortative mating by personality (activity level).
 Individuals generally mated preferentially with partners of similar
 activity level. However, beyond that general trend, individuals with more
 extreme personalities tended to exhibit disassortative mating: the most
 active males mated disproportionately with less active females, and the
 least active males tended to mate with more active females. 4. Our
 analyses thus revealed multiple, distinct patterns of non-random mating.
 These mating patterns did not arise from differences in partner
 availability among individuals and were robust to temporal changes in
 social conditions. Hence mating patterns likely reflect mate preferences
 or arise from male – male competition coupled with sexual conflict. Our
 study also stresses the importance of accounting for variation in partner
 availability and demonstrates the influence of behavioural variation on
 mating patterns.
description: data on mating rate in
 water stridersThese data were used to
 analyze the determinants of mating rate in water striders. The data set is
 constituted of all the possible pairs of males and females available for
 mating within each pool (see methods and readme file). Males and females
 were considered available if they were single and on the water. We then
 recorded whether each pair was mating (1) or not during the next scan
 observation (0, see 'mating' variable below). Each row
 corresponds to a single observation on a particular pair at a given time.
 Each column lists the values for a given variable. The description of each
 variable is given in the readme file. The data files are in a comma
 separated format.data.striders.montiglioetal2015.jae.mating.rate.csvdata on mating duration in water stridersThese data were used to analyze the determinants of mating duration. The data set includes all observations in which a given male and female were observed mating. For each of these observations, we then determined whether they pursued (1) or ceased mating (0) at the next scan observation. Each row corresponds to a single observation on a given pair at a given time. Each column lists the values for a given variable. The description of each variable is given in the readme file. The data files are in a comma separated format.data.striders.montiglioetal2015.mating.duration.jae.csvread me first!This file provides contact information, an overview of the methods, and details each variable presented in the data files.metadata.txt