Darryl Gwynne

Darryl Gwynne

Professor Emeritus
Biology

Research

Behavioural ecology. Specifically the evolution of reproductive behaviour and associated life-history features. A key focus has been how male investment in reproduction (particularly mate-feeding) controls the operation of sexual selection and the evolution of sexual differences in mating, ornaments, and weaponry used in sexual competition. The systems under study have included insects and spiders in which males feed their mates, particularly orthopteran insects (crickets, katydids and New Zealand weta). One focal species, the Mormon cricket, appears to show variable life history not only in sexual behaviour but also in apparent "phases" (solitary versus gregarious).

 

Publications

  • Gwynne, D.T. 2008. Sexual conflict over nuptial gifts in insects. Annual Review of Entomology 53:83-101.
  • Judge, K.A., J.J. Ting, and D.T. Gwynne. 2008. Condition dependence of male life span and calling effort in a field cricket. Evolution 62:868-87.
  • Kelly, C.D., L.F. Bussière and D.T. Gwynne. 2008. Sexual selection for male mobility in a giant insect with female-biased size dimorphism. American Naturalist 172:417-423.
  • Gwynne, D.T., L.F. Bussière and T.M. Ivy. 2007. Female ornaments hinder escape from spider webs in a role-reversed swarming dance fly. Animal Behaviour 73:1077-1082.
  • Sword, G.A., Lorch, P.D. & Gwynne, D.T. 2005. Migratory bands give crickets protection. Nature 433: 703-703.

 

Research

Evolutionary Biology