1,720,968 research outputs found
Visual and olfactory female-borne cues evoke male courtship in the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
No full textWe investigated the courtship and mating behavior of the pan-tropical polyphagous endoparasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck. The courtship and mating displays, the magnitude of male-male sexual approaches and the role of female-borne cues evoking male courtship behavior were quantified. The sequence of events leading to copulation in this parasitoid did not differ from that found for other braconids. Females refused to copulate more than once. Same-sex courtships were observed among males and their possible role in an adaptive context is discussed. Olfactory female-borne cues played a key role in eliciting the courtship responses of males. Males were attracted by freshly dead females, but not by dead females soaked in hexane, nor by visual cues from females alone. Intense male wing fanning behavior was elicited by crushed abdomens of virgin females, suggesting that the female abdomen is the source of a short-distance pheromone crucial in evoking male courtship. Further studies are required to clarify the exact nature of the chemicals involved
First report of behavioural lateralisation in mosquitoes: right-biased kicking behaviour against males in females of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus
No full textLateralisation (i.e. functional and/or structural specialisations of left and right sides of the brain) of aggressive traits has been studied in a number of vertebrates, while evidence for invertebrates is scarce. Mosquito females display aggressive responses against undesired males, performing rejection kicks with the hind legs. In this research, we examined lateralisation of kicking behaviour in females of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. We found a right-biased population-level lateralisation of kicking behaviour. Four repeated testing phases on mosquito females confirmed the preferential use of right legs. However, when left legs were used, the mean number of kicks per rejection event was not different to that performed with right legs. Both left and right kicking behaviour lead to successful displacement of undesired partners. This is the first report about behavioural lateralisation in mosquitoes
Lek dynamics and cues evoking mating behavior in tephritid flies infesting soft fruits: implications for behavior-based control tools
No full textSexual communication in Tephritidae – Current knowledge and potential applications for Integrated Pest Management.
No full textImpact of a long lasting adult liquid diet on female reproductive performance in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)
No full textSexual communication in Tephritidae: a focus on species infesting soft fruits
No full textTephritidae, also known as the true fruit flies, comprise a huge number of key agricultural pests, causing both quantitative and qualitative crop losses. Investigating mating sequences of these flies could help to unveil mate choice dynamics, adding information to improve behaviour-based control tools. Here we critically review knowledge about sexual communication and related behaviours in Tephritidae, with a special focus on agricultural pests of soft fruits. We examine features and the role of male-male combat in lek sites, cues affecting mating dynamics, and some fitness-promoting female behaviours [mainly female-female aggressive interactions on fruits and oviposition marking pheromones (OMPs)] that occur at oviposition sites. We outline future perspectives arising from knowledge about sexual communication for Integrated Pest Management programs for Tephritidae pests infesting soft fruits. Sexually selected traits are frequently good indicators of male fitness and knowledge of sexual selection processes may contribute to the improvement of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programs. Furthermore, males’ exposure to parapheromones can enhance the mating success of sterile flies used in SIT programs. Lastly, the development of IPM strategies based on OMP application could help to improve eco-friendly control approaches against Tephritidae infesting soft fruits
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
May the wild male lose? Male wing fanning performances and mating success in wild and mass-reared strains of the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae)
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