Calling behaviour of adult female Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lep., Noctuidae) of overwintering generation and effects of mating

Abstract

The calling behaviour of overwintering generation females of Helicoverpa armigera and the effects of mating were studied in the laboratory at 24 ± 1°C and under reversed light‐dark cycle (16 h light : 8 h dark). Age had a significant influence on calling patterns. Based on calling age, mean number of calling bouts and total calling length of virgin females increased significantly, and mean onset time of calling advanced significantly from calling day 1 to subsequent calling days. Females of the overwintering generation exhibited more short bouts in calling, and some females that initiated calling on a previous day did not call on subsequent days. Mating had no effect on the overall patterns, but did affect calling behaviour. Mated females did not resume calling after mating during the same scotophase and, on the day following mating, mated females called less frequently and for a shorter duration, but thereafter increased to the same level of virgin females of the same calling age. Furthermore, as the moth aged, the percentage of mated females calling was lower than that of virgin females.

Modified female calling behaviour in Cry1Ac‐resistant Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…The calling behaviour of female H. armigera presented here shows similar age‐related patterns to those reported by Kou and Chow18 and Hou and Sheng 21. However, slight differences in calling behaviour patterns between studies did exist.…”

Calling behaviour and male response towards sex pheromone of poplar moth Condylorrhiza vestigialis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

“…Mating in moths generally depend on the expression of a series of behaviour patterns (Hou and Sheng 2000). In females, these behaviours include production of volatile sex pheromones, emission of sex pheromones via calling behaviour, which leads to attraction of potential mates, and the receptivity to males that attempt mating (Kingan et al 1993).…”

“…In females, these behaviours include production of volatile sex pheromones, emission of sex pheromones via calling behaviour, which leads to attraction of potential mates, and the receptivity to males that attempt mating (Kingan et al 1993). Among these, pheromone emission is a crucial stage that deserves further studies (Hou and Sheng 2000). Hence, this paper aims to describe the age-related calling behaviour of C. vestigialis females, and to evaluate the male activity towards the female sex pheromone gland extract.…”

Dim Light During Scotophase Enhances Sexual Behavior of the Oriental Tobacco BudwormHelicoverpa assulta(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…Moths that emerged during the scotophase were designated as 0-d-old, 1-d-old, 2-d-old, and so forth on subsequent days. Most female moths started calling on the 2nd or 3rd day following emergence (Kou & Chow 1987;Hou & Sheng 2000;Murata et al 2006;Ming et al 2007), and therefore we used 2-dold virgin moths in the study for all experiments.…”