Behavioural evidence for a female sex pheromone in Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract

Abstract. The mating behaviour of Cotesia flavipes Cameron, 1891 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was observed under laboratory conditions. The results demonstrate that chemical stimuli play an important role in bringing males and females together for mating. Females from this species release chemical compounds to attract males, which exhibit a distinct courtship behaviour divided into three main steps: (i) antennation, (ii) lateral bouncing and (iii) wing fluttering. Ethological tests using hexane extracts from two different parts of the female's body (head plus thorax and abdomen) demonstrate that males are more attracted and also display a courtship behaviour when a filter paper containing hexane extracts from the abdomen is presented to them, indicating that the abdomen is the source of the sex pheromone of this species. Naive males of this species respond to hexane extracts of this gland by displaying courtship behaviour. Furthermore, additional tests show that C. flavipes females mate only once, whereas virgin males do not show any preference for virgin or mated females, suggesting that mated females of this species continue to produce sex attractants after mating.

Courtship and mating behaviour in the fruit fly parasitoid Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): the role of wing fanning

“…The sequence of events leading to copulation in P. concolor was very similar to that found for other Braconidae (Antolin and Strand 1992;Kimani and Overholt 1995;Rungrojwanich and Walter 2000;De Freitas et al 2004;McClure et al 2007;Xiong 2008) and can be divided into three main steps: (1) a courtship phase, with male antennal drumming and arrestment, in which visual and chemical cues probably play an important role; (2) a subsequent close-range phase, with male wing fanning, in which vibratory and visual stimuli could play a key-role; and (3) a final contact phase, with copulation attempts and male antennal tapping, in which acoustic, mechanical and tactile stimuli probably dominate. In any case, when pursued by a male, the mated P. concolor female refused to mate by walking or flying away, as already observed in other braconid species, such as Diachasmimorpha kraussii, Cotesia flavipes, and Aphidius ervi (Rungrojwanich and Walter 2000;De Freitas et al 2004;McClure et al 2007).…”

“…In any case, when pursued by a male, the mated P. concolor female refused to mate by walking or flying away, as already observed in other braconid species, such as Diachasmimorpha kraussii, Cotesia flavipes, and Aphidius ervi (Rungrojwanich and Walter 2000;De Freitas et al 2004;McClure et al 2007). It is known that braconid females are generally monandrous and that repeated matings are rare (McNeil and Brodeur 1995;De Freitas et al 2004;McClure et al 2007). According to De Freitas et al (2004), the observation that mated braconid females avoid re-mating could be associated with the transference of sufficient sperm during the first mating.…”

“…It is known that braconid females are generally monandrous and that repeated matings are rare (McNeil and Brodeur 1995;De Freitas et al 2004;McClure et al 2007). According to De Freitas et al (2004), the observation that mated braconid females avoid re-mating could be associated with the transference of sufficient sperm during the first mating. In a review of mating parasitoid behaviour, Gordh and DeBach (1978) found that multiple mating by females occurred in only 5 out of 34 species, while multiple mating by males occurred in all cases.…”

“…This movement mediates the orientation of males to females in ichneumonids (Vinson 1972), induces sexual receptivity in pteromalid (Miller and Tsao 1974) and braconid females, (Field and Keller 1993), and enhances female activity in braconids (Sivinski and Webb 1989). Furthermore, among Braconidae wing fanning plays many roles during courtship: it contributes to communication (De Freitas et al 2004;McClure et al 2007;Danci et al 2010;Joyce et al 2010), it affects female receptivity (Field and Keller 1993;Kimani and Overholt 1995) and it facilitates male orientation towards females (Vinson 1972). During copulation attempts, wing vibrations may serve as a further courtship (to acquiesce the female) or to maintain the male's balance while he positions himself to intromit, following much the same behaviour as in flies (Zapien et al 1983;Briceño et al 1996).…”

Function of the Dufour’s gland in solitary and social Hymenoptera

“…In Diadegma semiclausum (Ichneumonidae), Dufour's gland secretions have been reported to be added along with venom gland secretions to mature eggs that are ready to be laid (Huang et al 2008). The Dufour's gland has been reported to act as a female sex pheromone in Cardiochiles nigriceps and Cotesia flavipes (Braconidae) (Vinson 1978, Syvertsen et al 1995, de Freitas et al 2004. In Biosteres longicaudatus (Braconidae), virus-like particles have been reported to accumulate in the Dufour's gland, which are injected into the host during parasitization, and may serve in suppressing the immune system of the host during development of parasitic larvae in the host's body (Lawrence and Akin 1990).…”