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.