Deterring Unwanted Mates
Dishonest signals of infection could be used by individuals to avoid
harassment by the opposite sex when infection cues reduce attractiveness
to mates (Thomas et al. 1995; Arnqvist & Rowe 2005). This
strategy is much more likely to be employed by females rather than males
(Arnqvist & Rowe 2005). An analogous case exists in damselflies, in
which some females mimic males (Cordero et al. 1998). This
reduces the level of male harassment but increasing their chances of
remaining unmated. Stability of this male-mimicry strategy is posited to
be maintained via negative frequency-dependent selection.