Original paper

Daily Rhythms of Mating and of the Stimulatory Activity of the Female Pheromone Release on Male Antennae in the Legume Pod Borer, Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Lu, Peng-Fei; Qiao, Hai-Li; Lei, Chao-Liang

Entomologia Generalis Volume 31 Number 1 (2008), p. 49 - 62

37 references

published: Apr 1, 2008

DOI: 10.1127/entom.gen/31/2008/49

BibTeX file

ArtNo. ESP146003101005, Price: 15.40 €

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Abstract

The legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Fabricius 1787), is a serious pantropical insect pest of grain legumes. The mating rhythms and male response to female sex pheromone in the legume pod borer adult were investigated at 29±1 ºC and 75–80 % r.h. under 14 L:10 D. The results show that the highest mating frequency occurs between 2300 and 2400 hour for 3-day-old moths; Single mating peaks were observed for 1-, 6- and 7-day-old moths; Double mating peaks were observed for 2- to 5-dayold moths during the two halves of the scotophase; The percentage of pairs starting mating at the first is higher than that of the second. The mating behavior occurs throughout the scotophase, however, there are more matings due to more time spent in mating during the first half than second one; The mating behavior is age-dependent. Advanced onset of time and peak for mating is observed directly in older moths; Younger and older-aged pairs spend more time in mating than intermediate-aged pairs. As the temperature increased, the mating peaks are advanced to much younger age; the advance of onset time of mating and prolonging of duration of mating in older-aged pairs are more pronounced at cool than at arm temperature. The mating occurs later when the photoperiod is shorted. The mating in the indoor, the response of male antenna to the female sex pheromone and trapping experiments are synchronized at different ages and time in the scotophase. But though less mating was observed before and after the two mating peaks, the male antennae are able to respond to female sex pheromone at almost all parts of the scotophase.

Keywords

Maruca vitrata (Fabricius 1787) • mating rhythms • male response • sex pheromone