It provides more evidence that women send out "secret signals" to men at times when they are ready to conceive.
Previous studies have shown that women dress and behave differently shortly before they menstruate.
Now a new study has shown that dancers who are "on heat" receive more tips than those on the Pill or in the non-fertile periods of their menstrual cycle.
Experts suspect that pheromones - subtle scent signals that in animals play a key role in sexual attractiveness - may be involved.
In other words, fertile women smell more appealing to men.
Researchers at the University Of New Mexico compared the earnings of lap dancers who were menstruating naturally with others taking the contraceptive pill.
During the non-fertile periods of their menstrual cycle, dancers not on the Pill earned much the same as those using the contraceptive.
But when the naturally cycling dancers entered their fertile period, their tips became significantly more generous.
The evidence was the first to show that oestrus has a "real effect on women's earnings", Dr Geoffrey Miller told New Scientist magazine.
However, even on non-fertile days, lap dancers with natural menstrual cycles earned quite well, demonstrating that fertility was not all that the men in their audience were interested in.
"Previous research has shown that women's faces, scent and clothing become more attractive in oestrus," said Dr Miller.
Dr Randy Thornhill, another University Of New Mexico scientist, last month made the controversial claim that women can be "in heat" just like animals.
He said: "We don't know the mechanism of attraction. Are the men detecting the scent of oestrus? Or does the women's behaviour change?"
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