Mating behavior and capacity of the beet webworm, Loxostege sticticalis

Key Words：beet webworm, mating behavior, mating capacity

Abstract：        The beet webworm，Loxostege sticticalis L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is an important migratory insect pest of crop and fodder plants in northern China. To better understand its outbreak mechanism, and improve monitoring and management of this pest, the mating behavior of adult L. sticticalis was studied under laboratory conditions （(22±1)℃, RH 70±5%, L∶D=16∶8). The results indicate that mating activity begins on day4 and peaks on day9 Mating activity occurred between 4 and 8 hours after lights were turned off. Adults could mate from 1 to 6 times, with an average of 2.4 times during their life span. 32.4% moths mated twice and 29.4% mated once with progressively lesser proportions mating more frequently. Mating duration lasted from 21 to 148 min (n=145), with an average of 58.7 min. Most copulations lasted from 50 to 70 min (42.1%，n=145), followed by 30 to 50 min (36.6%), with a small proportion (2.8%) lasting less than 30 min. The duration of copulation increased with age (Y = 1.3488x + 45.429；r = 0.22，P = 0.008，n = 145).