Time Spares no Male: The Age‐Dependent Decline of Olfactory Attractiveness in Red Flour Beetles <scp> <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> </scp>

ABSTRACT The effects of male age on reproductive performance have long been of interest to evolutionary biologists, yet they remain poorly understood. Although several empirical studies have reported advantages of older males over younger males in male–male competition for access to females in some animal species, female mate preference ultimately determines male reproductive success. Therefore, understanding how male age influences female preference is essential, but empirical evidence remains limited. We investigated the effect of male age on female preference for their scent in the red flour beetle ( Tribolium castaneum ). Our findings suggest that, in contrast to previous empirical and theoretical studies emphasizing advantages of older males in intra‐sexual competition, in T. castaneum females prefer younger males.