Effect of mating status on the fecundity of a cricket,Teleogryllus emma

Abstract Fecundity in some insects is affected by mating status. The effect of mating status on the fecundity and total egg production of Teleogryllus emma (Ohmachi et Matsumura) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) was examined in this study. The results showed that the pre‐oviposition period was shorter for amphigonic females than that for virgin females. However, no significant difference in pre‐oviposition was found between amphigonic females and those that had mated with a male with either the phallodeum or testes extirpated. There is no difference in adult longevity between the above four groups. The fecundity and total egg production were much higher in amphigonic females than in those controlled under the three non‐amphigonic treatments. The females of T. emma that mated with the testes‐extirpated males produced more eggs (up to two‐fold more) than both the virgin females and those that mated with the phallodeum‐extirpated males, but there was no difference between them. The fecundity‐enhancing substances transferred from male to female can stimulate the female to produce more eggs, but this stimulation has to occur in collaboration with sperm.     

Mating frequency and reproductive success in an income breeding moth,Mnesampela privata

The frequency of mating in insects is often an important determinant of female reproductive output and male sperm competition. In Lepidoptera that provide male nutrients to the female when mating, it is hypothesized that polyandry may be more prevalent. This is thought to be especially so among species described as income breeders; that is, in species who do not derive all their nutrients for reproductive output entirely from the resources obtained during the larval stage. We selected the geometrid moth, Mnesampela privata (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), to examine this hypothesis further. We found this species was best characterized as an income breeder with female weight on emergence positively correlated with total egg load but not with the number of eggs laid. Further, in accord with income breeders, females emerged with a partially developed egg load and lifetime fecundity was positively correlated with the number of oviposition days. However, in the laboratory we found that incidence of repeated matings or polyandry was rare. When moths were paired singly over their lifetime, only 4% of mated females multiple mated. When females were paired with three males concurrently, female mating success increased from 60 to 81% with multiple mating among mated females increasing to just 15%. Dissection of wild caught M. privata found that polyandry levels were also low with a maximum of 16.4% of females collected at any one time being multiple mated. In accord with theory, mating significantly increased the longevity of females, but not of males, suggesting that females acquire essential resources from male ejaculates. Despite this, multiple mated females showed a trend toward decreasing rather than increasing female reproductive output. Spermatophore size, measured on death of the female, was not correlated with male or female forewing length but was negatively correlated with the number of fertile eggs laid and female longevity. Smaller spermatophore width may be related to uptake of more nutrients by the female from a spermatophore. We discuss our findings in relation to income breeding and its relationship to polyandry in Lepidoptera.     

Copulation reduces male but not female longevity in Saltella sphondylli (Diptera: Sepsidae)

Mating more than once is extremely costly for females in many species, making the near ubiquity of polyandry difficult to understand. However, evidence of mating costs for males is much rarer. We investigated the effects of copulation on longevity of male and female flies (Saltella sphondylli). We also scrutinized potential fecundity and fertility benefits to females with differing mating history. Copulation per se was found to decrease the longevity of males but not that of females. However, when females were allowed to lay eggs, females that mated died earlier than virgin females, indicating costs of egg production and/or oviposition. Thus, although longevity costs of copulation are higher for males, reproduction is nevertheless costly for females. We also found no differences in fecundity or fertility relative to female mating history. Results suggest that polyandry may be driven by minor costs rather than by major benefits in this species.     

The effect of male mating history on paternal investment, fecundity and female remating in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus

1. In many organisms, males provide nutrients to females via ejaculates that can influence female fecundity, longevity and mating behaviour. The effect of male mating history on male ejaculate size, female fecundity, female longevity and female remating behaviour in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus was determined.
2. The quantity of ejaculate passed to females declined dramatically with successive matings. Despite the decline, a male's ability to fertilize a female fully did not appear to decline substantially until his fourth mating.
3. When females multiply mated with males of a particular mated status, the pattern of egg production was cyclic, with egg production increasing after mating. Females multiply mated to virgins had higher fecundity than females mated to non-virgins, and females mated to twice-mated males had disproportionately increased egg production late in their life.
4. Females that mated to multiple virgins, and consequently laid more eggs, experienced greater mortality than females mated only once or mated to non-virgins, suggesting that egg production is costly, and rather than ameliorating these costs, male ejaculates may increase them by allowing or stimulating females to lay more eggs.
5. Females mating with non-virgin males remated more readily than did females mated to virgins. Females given food supplements were less likely to remate than females that were nutritionally stressed, suggesting that females remate in part to obtain additional nutrients.     

Male genotype affects female fitness in a paternally investing species

Male nutrient provisioning is widespread in insects. Females of some species use male-derived nutrients for increased longevity and reproductive output. Despite much research into the consequences of paternal nutrient investment for male and female fitness, the heritability, and therefore the potential of this trait to respond to selection, has rarely been examined. Males of several butterfly species provide the female with nutrients in the spermatophore at mating. Females of the green-veined white butterfly Pieris napi (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) use male donations both for developing eggs (resulting in higher lifetime fecundity of multiply mated females), but also for their somatic maintenance (increasing longevity). Using half-sib, father-son regression and full-sib analyses, I showed that paternal nutrient investment is heritable, both in terms of the absolute but also the relative size of the spermatophore (controlling for body size). Male size and spermatophore size were also genetically correlated. Furthermore, a separate study showed male genotype had a significant effect on female longevity and lifetime fecundity. In contrast, male genotype had no influence on the immediate egg-laying rate of females following mating, suggesting limited scope for male manipulation of immediate female oviposition. These results indicate that females may derive both direct (increased lifetime fecundity and longevity) and indirect (sons with greater reproductive success) fitness benefits from paternal nutrient donations in this species.     

Monandry and polyandry as alternative lifestyles in a butterfly

Butterflies show considerable variability in female mating frequency, ranging from monandrous species to females mating several timesin their lifetime. Degree of polyandry also varies within species,with some females only mating once and others mating multiply.Previous studies have shown that one reason for female multiplemating is to obtain nutritious male donations that both increasethe longevity of females and result in higher lifetime fecundity.Despite the presence of male nutrient donations, some femalesof the green-veined white butterfly (Pieridae: Pieris napi)never mate more than once. In this study, we examined thisapparent paradox. We assessed to what degree polyandry is undergenetic control by a full-sib analysis, and we also estimatedthe broad sense heritability of female lifetime fecundity in singly mated females. Both polyandry and lifetime fecundityhave a genetic component. However, degree of polyandry appearsto be traded off against reduced longevity when denied theopportunity to mate more than once. It is possible that femaleP. napi display different reproductive strategies, with somefemales relying on male donations to realize their potentialfecundity and others relying on their own resources for egg production. In nature, polyandrous females may be preventedfrom mating multiply due to unfavorable weather. We discussthe possibility that the trade-off between degree of polyandryand life span when singly mated may affect the maintenanceof genetic variability in female mating frequency in this species.Possible reasons for these different reproductive strategiesare discussed.     

The influence of male ejaculate quantity on female fitness: a meta‐analysis

Although the primary function of mating is gamete transfer, male ejaculates contain numerous other substances that are produced by accessory glands and transferred to females during mating. Studies with several model organisms have shown that these substances can exert diverse behavioural and physiological effects on females, including altered longevity and reproductive output, yet a comprehensive synthesis across taxa is lacking. Here we use a meta‐analytic approach to synthesize quantitatively extensive experimental work examining how male ejaculate quantity affects different components of female fitness. We summarize effect sizes for female fecundity (partial and lifetime) and longevity from 84 studies conducted on 70 arthropod species that yielded a total of 130 comparisons of female fecundity and 61 comparisons of female longevity. In response to greater amounts of ejaculate, arthropod females demonstrate enhanced fecundity (both partial and lifetime) but reduced longevity, particularly for Diptera and Lepidoptera. Across taxa, multiply mated females show particularly large fecundity increases compared to singly mated females, indicating that single matings do not maximize female fitness. This fecundity increase is balanced by a slight negative effect on lifespan, with females that received more ejaculate through polyandrous matings showing greater reductions in lifespan compared with females that have mated repeatedly with the same male. We found no significant effect size differences for either female fecundity or longevity between taxa that transfer sperm packaged into spermatophores compared to taxa that transfer ejaculates containing free sperm. Furthermore, females that received relatively larger or more spermatophores demonstrated greater lifetime fecundity, indicating that these seminal nuptial gifts provide females with a net fitness benefit. These results contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary origin and maintenance of non‐sperm ejaculate components, and provide insight into female mate choice and optimal mating patterns.     

Impact of mating on Anagyrus kamali Moursi (Hym., Encyrtidae) lifetime fecundity, reproductive longevity, progeny emergence and sex ratio

Abstract: The solitary endoparasitoid Anagyrus kamali Moursi (Hym., Encyrtidae) and the Hibiscus mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green (Hom., Pseudococcidae), were used as a parasite/host model to test the effect of mating on several fitness parameters, i.e. longevity, lifetime fecundity, progeny emergence and sex ratio. At 27 ± 2°C, 8 h light : 16 h dark, mating significantly affected the survival of male parasitoids. Virgin males lived longer (32.2 ± 9.51 days) than mated males (23.9 ± 7.52 days). Female longevity (40.7 ± 16.3 days for virgins and 36.2 ± 10.7 days for mated females) was not affected by mating. The lifetime fecundity of female parasitoids and their oviposition period was not significantly affected by mating. However, the number of hosts parasitized was greater for mated wasps (7.54 ± 4.85 hosts parasitized/day) compared with virgin ones (5.12 ± 2.19 hosts parasitized/day). This resulted in greater progeny production from mated A. kamali females. The progeny of virgin females consisted only of males, whereas the mated ones had a more female‐biased sex ratio. The lowest sex ratio (0.41 M/F ± 0.123) was attained when females had free access to males and were multi‐mated.     

Strong material benefits and no longevity costs of multiple mating in an extremely polyandrous leaf beetle, Chrysochus cobaltinus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

It is well established that females of many species exhibitpolyandry. Although such behavior often increases female fitnessby augmenting fecundity or enhancing the genetic diversity andvigor of their offspring, it often reduces female longevity.It has been argued that trade-offs between these costs and benefitsshould limit the degree to which females remate. However, theexistence of highly polyandrous species suggests substantialpolyandry benefits and/or minimal costs in some systems. Femalesof the leaf beetle, Chrysochus cobaltinus, are extremely polyandrous,providing an opportunity to examine the factors influencingthe evolution of such behaviors. We compared the fecundity andlongevity of singly mated females, females that mated multipletimes with the same male, and females that mated multiple timeswith different males. Compared with females in the single matingtreatment, females in both multiple mating treatments exhibiteda significant reduction in latency to oviposition and, due toan increase in daily egg production, significant increases inlifetime fecundity. This difference diminished as the time sincelast mating increased. There were no differences in fecunditybetween the 2 multiple mating treatments, indicating that mateidentity does not influence the material benefits of multiplemating. Surprisingly, female longevity did not differ amongtreatments. The pronounced fecundity benefits that females gainfrom multiple mating, coupled with a lack of longevity costs,apparently explains the extreme polyandry in this species. Inaddition, the existence of material fitness benefits via conspecificmatings raises the intriguing possibility that in a C. cobaltinus–Chrysochusauratus hybrid zone, heterospecific matings may confer similarbenefits to Chrysochus females.     

Low cost of reproduction in female stalk-eyed flies, Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni

We investigated the effect of exposure to males on female longevity and egg production in the stalk-eyed fly, Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni. In this species, females typically mate several times each morning over a lifetime that can span several months. We hypothesised that high costs of mating with males would be incompatible with the life history of this species. We predicted that 1) female longevity costs of exposure to males would be low, and 2) that the magnitude of mating-induced fecundity increases in C. dalmanni, if present, would also be low. We tested the predictions by comparing the longevity and lifetime fecundity of virgin and mated females. In line with prediction 1), the longevity difference between virgin and fully reproductive females was small and of borderline significance. In line with prediction 2), egg production was not significantly higher in females continually exposed to males than for virgin females. Our results suggest that costs of reproduction resulting from exposure to males are low in species that mate promiscuously at high rates.     

Effects of delayed mating and male mating history on the reproductive potential of Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae)

Abstract 1 Despite the importance of Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin‐Mèneville) in coffee production worldwide, there is a lack of information on its reproduction. This knowledge will help in mass rearing, and support the development of behavioural control techniques for this insect. The present study determined the effects of delayed mating and previous matings of male L. coffeella on fecundity, egg viability and frequency of female remating. 2 The highest levels of fecundity and egg viability were obtained from matings of 1–3‐day‐old females. When females mated at 5 days of age, there were reductions of 40% in oviposition and of 43% in egg viability. 3 Females mated with 2‐day‐old virgin males were more fecund than those mated with older males; egg viability was also low (18%) from females mated with older males. 4 Virgin females that mated with virgin males laid a greater number of eggs than those mated with previously copulated males. Egg viability decreased with the increase in the number of previous male matings. 5 Five‐day‐old females remated in greater proportion than 2–3‐day‐old females. Females that copulated with males that had previously mated three times had higher rates of remating than those that copulated with virgin males. 6 The results obtained indicate that 1–3 days after emergence is the optimum age for mating. The implications of these findings for the control of L. coffeella by synthetic sex pheromone are discussed.     

Effects of delayed mating and male mating history on longevity and reproductive performance of the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lep., Pyralidae)

Abstract:  The mating potential, effects of delayed mating and male mating history on longevity and reproductive performance of female rice stem borer (RSB), Chilo suppressalis , were investigated under laboratory conditions. Given the opportunity, RSB males copulated an average of 2.7 times, while females generally mated only once. Females were more severely affected by mating delay than males in terms of female longevity and reproductive performance. With increasing age at mating, females' longevity increased, while oviposition period, fecundity and egg fertility decreased. Mean fecundity and egg fertility of females mated 1 and 7 days after emergence were 251.3% and 99.2%, and 96.2% and 75.5% respectively. Both were reduced significantly when female mating was delayed beyond 4 days after emergence. However, irrespective of the first mating age and different mating history of the males, the results indicated that both did not result in a significant difference in the quality of their contributions to female longevity and reproductive performance. The results obtained in this study are discussed in relation to the potential effect on pheromone control of RSB.     

水稻二化螟的交配行为

在室内条件下,对水稻二化螟Chilo suppressalis的交配行为及能力进行了研究.结果表明：大多数二化螟雌蛾一生只交配一次,平均0.92次;而雄蛾具有多次交配能力,最多达4次,平均2.72次.二化螟雌蛾的日龄影响其交配率、交配起始时间和持续时间,随二化螟雌蛾日龄的增加,其交配率逐渐下降,交配起始时间逐渐提前,而交配持续时间逐渐上升.相反,二化螟雄蛾日龄对其交配率、交配起始时间和持续时间没有明显影响.交配日龄对二化螟雌蛾的生殖力也存在显著影响,随着二化螟雌蛾交配日龄的增加,雌蛾产卵量下降,卵孵化率降低,产卵期缩短,它们都与雌蛾交配日龄存在显著的负相关;而雌蛾产卵前期和雌蛾寿命随雌蛾交配日龄的增加而延长,与雌蛾交配日龄存在显著的正相关.但二化螟雄蛾交配日龄对雌蛾的生殖力没有明显影响,二化螟雄蛾一生都具有较强的交配繁殖能力.同时,不同交配史的雄蛾与雌蛾交配,对雌蛾的生殖力也没有显著影响.表明二化螟的交配活动是由雌蛾主导控制的.最后,对这些结果在二化螟性信息素防治中应用的可行性进行了探讨.在应用性信息素控制二化螟的实践中,可以在两方面取得实效,一是性信息素可以阻碍雌雄之间正常交配,降低交配率;二是可以推迟二化螟雌虫的交配,使其产卵量和卵孵化率降低.     

Effect of Delayed Mating on Oviposition Pattern, Fecundity and Fertility in Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Female codling moth ( Cydia pomonella ) were mated either on the day of emergence or 2 or 4 d after emergence. Oviposition was checked daily and fertility (% egg hatch) of eggs laid 1–4 d and 5 + d after mating was determined from a sub-sample of females in each treatment. From these data, net reproduction rate (R₀) was calculated. the effect of delayed mating of males was also determined. Mean fecundity, fertility and net reproduction rate of females mated 4 d after emergence were significantly lower than for females mated either on the day of emergence (day 0) or 2 d after emergence. There were no significant differences between the three treatments in terms of the proportion of females that mated or female longevity, although there was a trend towards increased longevity with increasing delays in mating. Mean longevity of unmated females was significantly greater than that of mated females. Oviposition pattern was similar in females regardless of when they were mated and in all cases maximum oviposition took place 2 d after mating. There was no effect on the fecundity of 2 d old females or on the fertility of their eggs when they were paired with either 2 or 6 d old males. the significance of these findings in relation to control of codling moth by mating disruption is discussed.     

Reproductive costs of mating with a sibling male: sperm depletion and multiple mating in Cephalonomia hyalinipennis

Polygynous parasitoid males may be limited by the amount of sperm they can transmit to females, which in turn may become sperm limited. In this study, I tested the effect of male mating history on copula duration, female fecundity, and offspring sex ratio, and the likelihood that females will have multiple mates, in the gregarious parasitoid Cephalonomia hyalinipennis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae: Epyrinae), a likely candidate for sperm depletion due to its local mate competition system. Males were eager to mate with the seven females presented in rapid succession. Copula duration did not differ with male mating history, but latency before a first mating was significantly longer than before consecutive matings. Male mating history had no bearing on female fecundity (number of offspring), but significantly influenced offspring sex ratio. The last female to mate with a given male produced significantly more male offspring than the first one, and eventually became sperm depleted. In contrast, the offspring sex ratio of first‐mated females was female biased, denoting a high degree of sex allocation control. Once‐mated females, whether sperm‐depleted or not, accepted a second mating after a period of oviposition. Sperm‐depleted females resumed production of fertilized eggs after a second mating. Young, recently mated females also accepted a second mating, but extended in‐copula courtship was observed. Carrying out multiple matings in this species thus seems to reduce the cost of being constrained to produce only haploid males after accepting copulation with a sperm‐depleted male. I discuss the reproductive fitness costs that females experience when mating solely with their sibling males and the reproductive fitness gain of males that persist in mating, even when almost sperm‐depleted. Behavioural observations support the hypothesis that females monitor their sperm stock. It is concluded that C. hyalinipennis is a species with a partial local mating system.     

Repeated mating with the same male increases female longevity and fecundity in a polyandrous leaf beetle Galerucella birmanica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Female multiple mating (polyandry) is widespread across Insecta, even if mating can be costly to females. To explain the evolution and maintenance of polyandry, several hypotheses, mainly focusing on the material (direct) and/or the genetic (indirect) benefits, have been proposed and empirically tested in many species. Considering only the direct benefits, repeatedly‐mated females are expected to exhibit the same fitness as multiply‐mated females under the same mating frequency. In the present study, we compare the fitness of females received monandrous repeated mating (MM) and polyandrous multiple mating (PM) in a polyandrous leaf beetle Galerucella birmanica and assess female mate preference with regard to polyandry or monandry. Our data indicate that the longevity and the egg‐laying duration of MM females are significantly longer than that of PM females. MM females produce significantly more hatched eggs than PM females over their lifetime under the same mating frequency, which results from the high hatching rate of eggs produced by MM females. PM females mated with novel virgin males in the second mating suffer decreased longevity and lifetime fecundity compared with PM females mated with novel mated males in the second mating. Once‐mated females are more likely to re‐mate with familiar males than novel males. By contrast to expectations, the results of the present study suggest that repeated mating provides females with more direct benefits than multiple mating in G. birmanica, and females prefer to re‐mate with familiar males. The possible causes of this finding are discussed.     

Effects of mating rates on oviposition,sex ratio and longevity in a predatory mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neoseiulus cucumeris</Emphasis> (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Two aspects of mating effects on the fecundity, sex ratio and longevity of Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae) were examined in laboratory experiments: (1) females mated by one, two or three different males (unmated and 3 days old) at 5-day intervals, and (2) females mated by males with different age/mating status (number of females mated previously by the male). Females allowed to mate with a second or third male at 5-day intervals produced 39 eggs on average, but those mated with a single male produced 28 eggs on average. Matings with additional males 5 or 10 days after the first male increased the duration of the oviposition period of these females by 5–7 days and at the same time reduced the post-oviposition period by about 10 days. Overall, females with additional matings by one or two different males at 5-day intervals survived a few days shorter than females without additional males. Mating with a different female each day, a male of N. cucumeris could mate with 5–8 females, which produced a total of 85–116 eggs: females mated with a male during days 1 and 2 in its adulthood and with a male of the last 2 days of life (days 7 and 8) produced about half as many eggs as females mated with a male during 3–6 days of its adulthood. Females mated with males that are too young or too old had a shorter oviposition period and a longer post-oviposition period and longevity than females mated with middle-aged males. In both experiments, rates of oviposition remained similar in females with high or low fecundity. This indicates that in both cases, the increased fecundity is due to the extension of the oviposition period through additional sperm supplied by the second male and or third male (in experiment 1) or more sperm by males not too young nor too old (experiment 2).     

A Single Hot Event Stimulates Adult Performance but Reduces Egg Survival in the Oriental Fruit Moth,Grapholitha molesta

Climate warming is expected to increase the exposure of insects to hot events (involving a few hours at extreme high temperatures). These events are unlikely to cause widespread mortality but may modify population dynamics via impacting life history traits such as adult fecundity and egg hatching. These effects and their potential impact on population predictions are still largely unknown. In this study, we simulated a single hot event (maximum of 38°C lasting for 4 h) of a magnitude increasingly found under field conditions and examined its effect in the oriental fruit moth, Grapholitha molesta. This hot event had no impact on the survival of G. molesta adults, copulation periods or male longevity. However, the event increased female lifespan and the length of the oviposition period, leading to a potential increase in lifetime fecundity and suggesting hormesis. In contrast, exposure of males to this event markedly reduced the net reproductive value. Male heat treatment delayed the onset of oviposition in the females they mated with, as well as causing a decrease in the duration of oviposition period and lifetime fecundity. Both male and female stress also reduced egg hatch. Our findings of hormetic effects on female performance but concurrent detrimental effects on egg hatch suggest that hot events have unpredictable consequences on the population dynamics of this pest species with implications for likely effects associated with climate warming.     

A survival cost to mating in a polyandrous butterfly, Colias eurytheme

Adaptations that enhance fitness in one sex may be harmful to members of the opposite sex and lead to antagonistic coevolution between the sexes. In fruit flies, for example, selection for fertilization success has rendered the male ejaculate slightly toxic to females. Here we investigated whether mating imposes a cost upon female fitness in a polyandrous pierid butterfly ( Colias eurytheme ) by comparing life history traits between once-mated females and virgins. Mated females laid relatively more eggs early in their adult life, but suffered a reduction in longevity relative to virgins held under identical experimental conditions. The effect of mating on female survivorship was statistically independent of lifetime and early life fecundity. Moreover, lifetime fecundity co-varied positively with longevity across all females, and across females within each treatment group, hence there was no phenotypic trade-off between survival and reproduction. These results suggest that the observed longevity difference between virgin and mated females represents a true cost of mating, possibly arising from a toxic side effect of the male ejaculate. However, irrespective of this cost, virgin and mated females laid an equivalent lifetime number of eggs. Female C. eurytheme are also known to use nutrients from the male ejaculate to supplement their reproductive output, hence it is presently unclear how the observed longevity cost may have influenced the evolution of lifetime mating schedules in this polyandrous species.     

Effects of delayed mating on reproductive output of female oriental beetle Anomala orientalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

1 Although management of the oriental beetle Anomala orientalis (Waterhouse) by mating disruption shows promise across a range of agricultural systems, relatively little is known about aspects of the reproductive biology of this species relevant to its management. We studied the effects of delayed mating on several aspects of the oviposition behaviour and biology of the oriental beetle using females mated in the laboratory at 4–13 days posteclosion. 2 Females exhibited a gradual decline in fecundity with increased age at mating that was largely a function of a decline in duration of the oviposition period, as well as lower female fertility: females mated at 11 days were less likely to lay any fertile eggs. However, egg fertility did not vary with female age at mating. 3 Because mating delay did not affect longevity, females mated at older ages experienced decreased oviposition periods; however, females laid more eggs per day with increased age at mating, which partially offset shorter oviposition periods. 4 A mating delay of ≥ 6 days relative to females mated within the first day of reaching sexual maturity resulted in an approximately 35–50% lower mean fecundity. 5 These results suggest that, for mating disruption to be a successful management tool for the oriental beetle, mating must be prevented rather than delayed. We compare the findings of the present study with the published research on delayed mating in moths and discuss the importance of these results in relation to management of the oriental beetle using female sex pheromones.