Effects of multiple mating on the fecundity of an invasive pest (Octodonta nipae): the existence of an intermediate optimal female mating rate

Abstract

Multiple mating is found in many insect taxa where both of the sexes can mate more than once. For males, this leads to the advantage of increasing their paternity by fertilizing more females. However, there is a trade-off of resource allocation between reproduction and other life-history characters. In the present study, the impact of increased mating rate on reproductive fitness of the invasive nipa palm hispid beetle Octodonta nipae Maulik (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is investigated. A series of mating frequencies (i.e. 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 times) is selected from video frame playback, ranking from the minimum to maximum mating rate observed under laboratory conditions over a given time period. Fecundity parameters such as lifetime egg production, egg-hatching rate, effective oviposition period and longevity are investigated for the evaluation of reproductive efficiency. For female O. nipae, increased fecundity is correlated with the mating frequency. Females mating 15 times lay the largest number of eggs (138.82 ± 6.87) and have a hatching rate of 47.43 ± 4.08%. After mating 20 times, females suffer significant declines in oviposition (90.31 ± 8.38 eggs) and egg-hatching rate (34.16 ± 4.93%). Moreover, the population growth rate reaches a maximum in the females that mate 15 times. The results show that multiple matings in O. nipae have an intermediate optimal range within which female reproductive success is enhanced, providing empirical evidence for the existence of a trade-off between costs and benefits during copulation based on resource allocation.

Development of Microsatellite Markers for the Nipa Palm Hispid Beetle, Octodonta nipae (Maulik)

“…Much efforts have been devoted to research on O. nipae , including external morphology, physiology characteristic, biological habits, raising management, disease and pest control technique [ 3 – 6 ], multiple mating [ 7 ], transcriptome immune analysis [ 8 ], and rapid identification of species based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) [ 9 ]. Genetic markers are largely lacking for O. nipae ; in recent years, microsatellites, also called simple sequence repeats (SSRs), have been widely used in studies of intra- or interspecies variation and genetic structure in biological populations because of their high levels of polymorphism, codominant Mendelian inheritance, and ease of detection by polymerase chain reaction [ 10 ].…”

An entomopathogenic bacterium strain,Bacillus thuringiensis, as a biological control agent against the red palm weevil,Rhynchophorus ferrugineus(Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

“…Many species of palm trees, including Elaeis guineensis , Areca catechu , Archontophoenix alexandrae , Phoenix dactylifera and Cocos nucifera , are extensively grown as ornamental or economic forest trees in tropical and subtropical regions . Their economic and ornamental value, however, has been seriously affected by a number of widespread and damaging pests, including Brontispa longissima (Gestro), Octodonta nipae (Maulik), Rhynchophorus ferrug ineus (Olvier) and Rhabdoscelus lineaticollis (Heller) . Among these pests, the wood‐boring, red palm weevil (RPW), R. ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is responsible for causing the most serious damage to palm trees .…”

Identification of three prophenoloxidase‐activating factors (PPAFs) from an invasive beetle Octodonta nipae Maulik (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and their roles in the prophenoloxidase activation

“…Octodonta nipae were maintained on central leaves of Canary island date palm, Phoenix canariensis Hort. ex Chabaud, at 25 ± 1°C, 75 ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 12:12 (light: dark) as previously described (Li, Zhang, Hou, & Tang, ). Because T. brontispae prefers 1 day old host pupae, O. nipae pupae were used unless being otherwise specified.…”