Copulatory Behavior and Sex Pheromones in Sciarid Fly, Lycoriella mali (Fitch) (Sciaridae: Diptera).

Abstract

The mating behavior of the sciarid fly, Lycoriella mali, a serious insect pest of mushroom cultivation in Japan, was analyzed for the presence of sex pheromones. Unmated male flies made copulatory responses, such as wing fanning, ventral bending of abdomen and opening of clasper, to an unmated female, crude extracts of an unmated female and separate body parts of an unmated female, suggesting the presence of female sex pheromones on all parts of female flies. However, unmated male flies did not make any copulatory responses to 10-4 to 10-11g of n-heptadecane, previously reported as a sex pheromone of the flies in the USA. Unmated females elicited copulatory responses from males when older than 2h after adult eclosion. Unmated males made copulatory responses to unmated females when older than 1h after adult eclosion. Unmated females elicited copulatory responses by males until 3 days after adult eclosion. On the other hand, 100% of unmated males showed copulatory responses even at 9 days after adult eclosion. The copulatory responses of unmated males to mated females decreased quickly after the female had mated once.

Sex pheromones in three Bradysia species (Dipt., Sciaridae): novel bioassays with female body extracts and fractions

“…Lycoriella mali (Fitch 1856), Kostelc et al. (1980) reported n‐heptadecane as major attractant of the female sex pheromone, but this result could not be confirmed in a more recent study (Gotoh et al. 1999).…”

“…In Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour, 1839) syn. Lycoriella mali (Fitch 1856), Kostelc et al (1980) reported n-heptadecane as major attractant of the female sex pheromone, but this result could not be confirmed in a more recent study (Gotoh et al 1999). In sciarid males, the female extract evokes attraction, characteristic courtship behaviour including wing fanning and grasping the abdominal tip of the female with the claspers.…”

Nieuwe methoden voor bestrijding van bodemplagen in de glastuinbouw en zomerbloemen. : Deel 2: Literatuurstudie rouwmuggen (Sciaridae) en oevervliegen (Ephydridae)

“…Uit een studie van Sonoda et al (2014) Alhoewel voor verschillende soorten rouwmuggen bekend is dat de vrouwtjes sexferomonen produceren (e.g. Alberts et al 1981, Gotoh et al 1999, Liu et al 2002, Frank and Dettner 2008, zijn deze sexferomonen nog niet chemisch gekarakteriseerd. Er zijn geen lokstoffen bekend die de oevervlieg S. tenuicosta aantrekken en ook zijn er geen studies gedaan naar (sex)feromonen in oevervliegen.…”

Effects of Light Intensity on Reproductive Behavior of Male Dark Winged Fungus Gnat, Bradysia paupera (Diptera: Sciaridae).

“…Brdysia paupera B. agrestis Lycoriella mali 1985Lycoriella mali , 1993Lycoriella mali 1993Lycoriella mali , 19971999 fungus gnats Cantelo, 1989;King, 1991Brewer, 1990Bartlett andKeil, 1997 1995;1995BT Osborne et al, 1985Gouge and Hague, 1994;Hellqvist, 1994;Wright and Chambers, 1994;Ydergaard et al, 1997Ydergaard et al, 1997Jess and …”