The Effect of Rematings on the Fecundity of an Infertile Mutant Female

(1) Homozygous glossy and wild-type females were allowed to mate and then separated from the males. Wild-type females produced offspring through a test period of nine days, but glossy females became sterile by the fourth day and did not regain their fecundity during the period of the test. (2) Wild-type females that were successfully mated to normal males, and seven days later, to H/Me males produced offspring after the second mating that were due to both males. The glossy females that were successfully mated to both kinds of males lost their fecundity before the second males were added and after the second mating produced offspring that were due only to the second males. The sperm stored in the ventral receptacles of the glossy females did not function as long as those in wild-type females, but a second supply of sperm again initiated fecundity in glossy females. (3) It is concluded that since the eggs produced by glossy females after they have lost their fecundity can be fertilized, the loss of fecundit...