Multiple cues are often used for mate choice in complex environments,
potentially entailing mismatches between different sources of information.
We address the consequences thereof for receivers using the spider mite
Tetranychus urticae, in which virgin females are highly valuable mates
compared to mated females, given first male sperm precedence. Accordingly,
males prefer virgins and distinguish them using cues from the females
and/or that are present on the substrate. Whereas the former are more
reliable, the latter may allow for a faster or more long-distance
response. However, there can be mismatched information between cues as
females move and/or mate. Here, we tested the consequences thereof by
exposing males to mated or virgin females on patches previously
impregnated with cues deposited by females of either mating status. Male
mating attempts were solely affected by substrate cues while female
acceptance and the number of mating events were independently affected by
both cues. Copulation duration, in contrast, depended mainly on the mating
status of the female, with the number of copulations and the total time
spent mating being intermediate in environments with mismatched
information. Ultimately, male survival costs mirrored male investment in
mating. These results suggest that, in environments with mismatched
information, the substrate cues left by females are instrumental for males
to find their mates, but they can also lead to males paying survival costs
without the associated benefit of mating effectively, or suffering reduced
costs at the expense of losing effective mating opportunities. The benefit
of using multiple cues will then hinge upon the frequency of information
mismatch, which itself should vary with the dynamics of populations.