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Analysis of the mating behavior and some possible causes of male copulatory success in Dryas iulia alcionea (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae)

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Abstract

In this study we examined the mating behavior of Dryas iulia and the acceptance and rejection mechanisms of females during courtship activity. An ethogram of mating behavior was organized on the basis of 100 h of observation in an insectarium. Several different behaviors were catalogued and separated into two behavioral repertoires (pre-coupling, post-coupling). The behavioral sequence of mating behavior was also analyzed using a total of 53 pairs of D. iulia. The courtship activities involved interactions between the sexes in three sequential phases—the aerial, air-ground, and ground phases. In 49% of observations the courtship activities led to copulation. The mean time to the occurrence of the first interaction between males and females did not differ between interactions with and without copulation. The behavior of females and males in the two groups were analyzed and differences were found between behavioral activities of both sexes. The results indicate that males’ insistence on courtship does not affect their copulatory success, and that females play a decisive role in copulation occurrence. Analysis of behavioral transitions showed there are many alternative behavioral routines in interactions with and without copulation. The number of behavioral transitions recorded was smaller in the group in which copulation occurred, indicating that males with copulatory success modified their behavior less frequently. Successful males recorded more transitions with a probability of occurrence greater than 0.4, and their behavioral activity was also less reticulated. Analysis using the stereotyping index showed that situations in which copulations occurred were more stereotyped than those in which it did not.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to J. Zanin, G. Pasqualin, A. Carrion, A. A. Ferreira, P. R. Vieira, and A. L. Klein for help in keeping larvae and adults fed adequately. We thank S. Callegari-Jacques for criticism on the statistics, A. L. Klein and M. P. Almerão for suggestions about previous versions of the manuscript, and M. Mega for editing the figures. We also thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (CNPq) and Programa de Apoio a Núcleos de Excelência (PRONEX) for financial support.

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  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, prédio 43323, sala 215, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 91501-970, Brazil

    Nicolás Oliveira Mega

  2. Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, prédio 43323, sala 209, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 91501-970, Brazil

    Aldo Mellender de Araújo

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  1. Nicolás Oliveira Mega
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Correspondence to Nicolás Oliveira Mega.

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Mega, N.O., de Araújo, A.M. Analysis of the mating behavior and some possible causes of male copulatory success in Dryas iulia alcionea (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae). J Ethol 28, 123–132 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-009-0163-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-009-0163-y

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