Effects of age and mating time on the courtship behavior and longevity of adult female Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Author of the article:XU Dong CONG Sheng-Bo LI Wen-Jing WANG Ling YANG Ni-Na XIAO Liu-Bin WAN Peng
Author's Workplace:Institute of Plant Protection and Soil Science, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Central China, Ministry of Agriculture, Hubei Key Laboratory of Crop Disease, Insect Pests and Weeds Control, Wuhan 430064, China; Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Key Words:Pectinophora gossypiella; courtship; mating; age
Abstract:
[Objectives] To investigate the reproductive behavior of Pectinophora
gassypiella in order to establish a basis for using sex pheromones to
monitor and control this pest. [Methods]
The effects of age and mating
history on the courtship and mating behavior of P. gossypiella females were studied in a laboratory. [Results] The courtship and mating behavior of P. gossypiella could only be observed in
the scotophase. Females commenced calling 5 h after dark, reaching a peak in
the 7th-9th hour of the scotophase. Mating mostly
occurred 6.5 h after dark, reaching a peak during the 8th and the 9th hour of the scotophase. Age was closely related to the percentage of time spent
calling and mating, number of calling bouts, time of first calling, and calling
duration. The percentage of time calling reached a maximum at 1-13 days of age.
The mean number of calling bouts, and calling duration during the peak period,
remained at a high level from day 4 to day 15 and the time of first calling
advanced with age. The mating peak occurred on the day of emergence, after
which the mating frequency of females decreased with age. Compared to virgin
females, the average longevity of mated females and those that had mated
multiple times was relatively low, but this difference was not significant. The
courtship rate and courtship duration of mated females were lower than those of
virgin females. [Conclusion] The
courtship and mating behavior of P.
gossypiella was closely related to female age. There was a significant
negative correlation between mating and longevity in females (r=-0.350,P=0.000<0.01). Mating
also affected the percentage of time spent calling and calling duration.