A direct benefit of sexual selection can be a nuptial gift. Females can directly benefit from being choosy in their male mates if the male brings them a gift which may improve the health or survival of the female. Males can benefit from this behavior as well as it not only makes them more desirable to the females and can increase their liklihood of mating, but it may also increase the amount of time they have to mate with the female. (Danchin, Giraldeau, Cezilly, 2008).
This may also be an honest indicator of condition for the females: males in better condition will have the energy available to hunt a prey item and wrap it in silk to present to the females. Less capable males would need to eat that prey item themselves, and would not be able to give it away. It is likely that females who mate with males who are able to present a nuptial gift will also be gaining a better genetic contribution. (Albo, Toft, Bilde, 2011).
In addition to increasing chance of copulation and copulation time, another potential benefit for males is that nuptial gifts could protect males. In a study performed by Kuriwada & Kasuya (2012) it was found that male bell crickets who presented the female they were to mate with a nuptial gift were spared female aggression.
Albo, M. J., Toft, S., & Bilde, T. (2011). Condition dependence of male nuptial gift construction in the spider Pisaura mirabilis (Pisauridae). Journal Of Ethology, 29(3), 473-479.
Danchin, E., Giraldeau, L., Cezilly, F. (2008). Behavioral Ecology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Kuriwada, T., & Kasuya, E. (2012). Nuptial gifts protect male bell crickets from female aggressive behavior. Behavioral Ecology, 23(2), 302-306.
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