玉米螟赤眼蜂对亚洲玉米螟益它素的嗅觉反应

在实验室条件下利用四臂嗅觉仪测定了玉米螟赤眼蜂Trichogramma ostriniae Pang et Chen对来源于寄主亚洲玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée)成虫、卵、附腺以及性信息素的益它素的嗅觉反应。结果表明: 已交配尚未产卵亚洲玉米螟雌蛾及其附腺对玉米螟赤眼蜂有明显的吸引作用,而处女蛾、产卵前期雌蛾、产卵后期雌蛾及其附腺却没有作用;当玉米螟卵块数量为2块及卵表正己烷提取物当量为0.25块卵时,对玉米螟赤眼蜂也有明显的吸引作用,尤其以产在玻璃管内卵块吸引最为显著,达到极显著水平(P<0.01);性信息素组分之一,反-12-十四碳烯乙酸酯(E12.14: Ac)在剂量为1 μg时亦显著刺激了赤眼蜂的活动,表现为进入处理区的次数明显增加,且滞留时间明显延长。     

Female pheromonal chorusing in an arctiid moth, Utetheisa ornatrix

We report an unusual case of communal sexual display in thearctiid moth Utetheisa ornatrix that we designate "female pheromonalchorusing." As in most moths, female U. ornatrix release a long-distancesexual advertisement pheromone during a nightly activity period.We arranged U. ornatrix females in 2 types of signaling conditions:grouped and solitary. When the females were grouped with neighboringsignaling females (grouped), they initiated pheromone releasesooner, continued release with less interruption and over alonger total period, and performed the release with faster abdominalpumping than observed in isolated females (solitary). This differsfrom the usual form of sexual communication in moths: female(chemical) signalers, male receivers, and a general lack ofinteraction among females. At mating, male U. ornatrix transfera large spermatophore that may enhance female reproductive successand which represents either mating effort or paternal investment.This action results in an extended postmating male refractoryperiod leading to a female-biased operational sex ratio. Weargue that this biased sex ratio generates intrasexual competitionamong females, to which they respond by elevating signalingeffort such that the likelihood of at least matching their neighbors'signals is increased. In the field, U. ornatrix are clusteredaround patches of host plants, and we also explore the possibilitythat pheromonal chorusing is driven by cooperation among groupsof related—or nonrelated—females.     

Diel cycle in the percentage abundance of parthenogenetic females with embryos of different developmental stages in four species of marine cladocerans

The diel cycle in the percentage abundance of parthenogeneticfemales carrying embryos of different developmental stages inthe marine cladocerans Penilia avirostris, Pseudevadne tergestina,Pleopis polyphymoides and Pleopis schmackeri was studied atthe edge of an artificial rocky shore area in a semi-enclosedbay in Hong Kong. Females carried embryos during both day andnight, but females with fully-developed embryos were found predominantlyat night. The diel cycle in the abundance of females with matureembryos was most pronounced in P. tergestina, and less prominent,but still clearly noticeable in P. avirostris, P. schmackeriand P. polyphymoides. The absence or scarcity of females withmature embryos during daytime could be caused by both selectivepredation by visual predators and nocturnal maturation and releaseof embryos. Juveniles of Acanthopagrus schlegeli (black seabream)were the most abundant planktivorous fish in the study areain spring. Stomach content analyses revealed that these daytimepredators fed intensively on marine cladocerans and exhibiteda strong selection for females with mature embryos. On the otherhand, the gradual decline in the percentage of females withadvanced embryos during the latter part of the night, when feedingby visual predators presumably had not yet begun, suggests thatthere was a tendency for nocturnal release of neonates in marinecladocerans.     

Brood discrimination, nest mate discrimination, and determinants of social behavior in facultatively quasisocial beetles (Nicrophorus spp.)

In this study we investigated ecological determinants of socialityin burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.), potential conflicts ofinterest among reproductive females, and the effects of nestingfailure and costs of fighting on cooperation. Burying beetlesare known to form monogamous pairs when exploiting small vertebratecarcasses. More complex social behavior in this group is poorlyunderstood. We conducted experiments in which one or two females(N. defodiens, N. orbicollis) were provided small or large carcasseson which to breed. On large but not on small carcasses, twofemales often formed cooperative breeding associations (jointlyprepared a carcass and fed young). In N. defodiens, but notN. orbicollis, two females produced a larger brood than singlefemales on large carcasses. In both species, the reproductiveoutput per female was less for two than for one female. Thepresence of a second female did not decrease the preparationtime of a carcass (discovery of resource to egg hatch). Conflictwas evident between females. Trials employing females of similarsize were more likely to result in injury than trials usingfemales of dissimilar size (N. tomentosus, N. defodiens, N.orbicollis). In N. tomentosus, those associations that persistedthe longest resulted in the fewest injuries. After care of youngwas initiated, conflict among familiar nest mates was not observed.There was no evidence that breeding females could discriminatebetween brood; use of a genetic marker (N. orbicollis) demonstratedthat females fed related and unrelated young alike. Femalesof similar size (high potential cost of fighting for the dominantindividual) were not more likely to form cooperative breedingassociations than females of dissimilar size (low cost of fightingfor dominant). Females of a species subject to a high rate ofnest failure (N. defodiens) were more likely to cooperate thanfemales of a species with a low rate of nest failure (N. orbicollis).It is argued that limited reproductive opportunities, difficultyin controlling rivals' access to a large carcass, and the superabundantlarval food supply represented by a large carcass, but not kinselection, have contributed to the evolution of cooperativebehavior in this group. In addition, we hypothesize that beetlesmight initially tolerate consexual rivals on large carcasseswhen there is a high likelihood of nesting failure, therebyavoiding potentially costly conflicts.     

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.     

Relative influence of male and female genital morphology on paternity in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus

Studies of fertilization success have demonstrated that maleeffects are often a strong and important source of variationin P₂ (the proportion of offspring that are fertilized by thesecond male to mate). More recently there has been emphasison female processes that occur during and after copulation thatmight bias the outcome of male-male interactions. Here we usedthe sterile male technique to evaluate whether female genitalmorphology influences the repeatability of P₂ when the samepair of male dung beetles, Onthophagus taurus, copulated witha series of full-sib females or unrelated females that wereall unrelated to the male pair. Repeatability estimates of measuresof female genital morphology showed that full-sib females variedless in their genital morphology than did unrelated females.Therefore, if female genital traits are an important sourceof variation in male fertilization success, P₂ should be morerepeatable across full-sib than unrelated females. Contraryto this prediction, we show that the repeatability of P₂ didnot differ between female groups. Moreover, specific dimensionsof the female genitalia (sclerotized vagina and bursa) did notcontribute significantly to variance in P₂. In contrast, maleeffects had consistent and repeatable influences on paternityacross females. These were partly explained by variation inthe morphology of male genital sclerites.     

Differential allocation of male-derived nutrients in two lampyrid beetles with contrasting life-history characteristics

Across diverse animal taxa, sperm is transferred from malesto females during mating within a spermatophore produced bymale accessory glands. In some insects, male spermatophoresprovide females with nutrients that may be used to increasereproductive output or for somatic maintenance, while in othersno such benefits have been detected. Boggs suggested that variationin the current function of spermatophores may be explained byconsidering ecological and life-history factors. This studyexamined spermatophore function in Ellychnia corrusca and Photinusignitus (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), two beetles that exhibit markeddifferences in adult diet, adult life span, and overwinteringstage. During mating, males of both species transfer to femalesa complex, proteinaceous spermatophore, which is subsequentlydigested in a specialized sac within the female reproductive tract.Males of each species were injected with ³H-radiolabeled aminoacid mixtures and mated with conspecific females. The fate of spermatophore-derivedproteins was determined by dissecting females at various timesafter mating with these radiolabeled males. Females of thesetwo species showed markedly different patterns of incorporationof spermatophorederived nutrients. P. ignitus females incorporatedthe majority (62%) of spermatophore-derived protein into maturingoocytes within 2 days after mating. In contrast, in E. corruscaa large percentage of radiolabel (46%) appeared in female fatbody at 6 days after mating, with a threefold lower allocationto maturing oocytes compared to P. ignitus. These findings supportthe prediction that short-lived, nonfeeding females are selectedto allocate a greater proportion of male-derived nutrients toreproduction, while longer-lived, feeding females are selectedto allocate a greater proportion to somatic reserves and maintenance.These results suggest that life-history characteristics maybe useful in explaining observed differences in spermatophorefunction across taxa.     

Preference polymorphism for coloration but no speciation in a population of Lake Victoria cichlids

Female mating preference based on male nuptial coloration hasbeen suggested to be an important source of diversifying selectionin the radiation of Lake Victoria cichlid fish. Initial variationin female preference is a prerequisite for diversifying selection;however, it is rarely studied in natural populations. In clearwater areas of Lake Victoria, the sibling species Pundamiliapundamilia with blue males and Pundamilia nyererei with redmales coexist, intermediate phenotypes are rare, and most femaleshave species-assortative mating preferences. Here, we studya population of Pundamilia that inhabits turbid water wheremale coloration is variable from reddish to blue with most malesintermediate. We investigated male phenotype distribution andfemale mating preferences. Male phenotype was unimodally distributedwith a mode on intermediate color in 1 year and more blue-shiftedin 2 other years. In mate choice experiments with females ofthe turbid water population and males from a clearer water population,we found females with a significant and consistent preferencefor P. pundamilia (blue) males, females with such preferencesfor P. nyererei (red) males, and many females without a preference.Hence, female mating preferences in this population could causedisruptive selection on male coloration that is probably constrainedby the low signal transduction of the turbid water environment.We suggest that if environmental signal transduction was improvedand the preference/color polymorphism was stabilized by negativefrequency-dependent selection, divergent sexual selection mightseparate the 2 morphs into reproductively isolated species resemblingthe clear water species P. pundamilia and P. nyererei.     

Does courtship behavior contribute to species-level reproductive isolation in field crickets?

Reproductive behavior influences gene flow within and amongspecies; thus, sexual selection may be a major contributor tothe maintenance of species, and possibly their formation. HereI experimentally manipulate the courtship interactions of thefield crickets Gryllus rubens and G. texensis to examine thepotential of close-range courtship interactions to limit interspecificgene flow. Responses of males to females and of females to malecourtship song and males per se were examined for four pairedsympatric and allopatric populations. Male G. rubens were morelikely to court conspecific females, but male G. texensis courtedfemales of both species equally. If paired with conspecificmales, female G. rubens and G. texensis both preferred conspecificcourtship song. In none of these comparisons were the responsesof males or females from allopatry different from those in sympatry.There was an asymmetry of courtship response across both sexand species: male G. rubens were more discriminating than maleG. texensis, whereas female G. texensis were more discriminatingthan female G. rubens. Despite significant preferences for conspecifics,the net effect of courtship interactions would appear to limitinterspecific gene flow only weakly. These results are consistentwith courtship behavior evolving under the influence of sexualselection and only indirectly promoting species integrity.     

棉铃虫成虫对性信息素的电生理和行为反应研究

通过EAG和风洞实验,研究了棉铃虫雌雄成虫对性信息素组分和诱芯(Z-11-16Ald∶Z-9-16Ald=97∶3)的电生理反应。其中棉铃虫雌、雄蛾对诱芯的平均EAG反应测定值分别为1.06mV和4.32mV,分别高出对照(无性信息素空白诱芯)0.67mV和0.366mV,差异均达到极显著水平(雌蛾：t＝25.020, P≤0.01;雄蛾：t＝44.269,P≤0.01);棉铃虫雌蛾对性信息素组分(Z-11-16-Ald和Z-9.16Ald)的EAG反应值随浓度增加而增加;雄蛾在被剪除触角后与雌蛾不能正常交配,而雌蛾在被剪除触角后仍有40%的交配率,比正常雌雄蛾的交配率(70%)有所下降;在风洞实验中,雄蛾没有顺风远离诱源的飞行行为,趋向诱源的比率为81.8%,与对照有显著差异。研究表明性信息素组分对棉铃虫的交配活动有明显的影响。     

Sexual harassment in live-bearing fishes (Poeciliidae): comparing courting and noncourting species

Sexual harassment by males has been reported from several live-bearingfishes (Poeciliidae) and has been shown to inflict costs onfemales. For example, poeciliid females have reduced feedingopportunities when accompanied by a male because females dedicateattention to avoiding male copulation attempts. Poeciliid speciesdiffer considerably in male mating behavior, such as the presenceor absence of courtship. Courting males display in front ofthe females, but males attempting to sneak-copulate approachfemales from behind, that is, in the blind portion of theirvisual field, and force copulations, which can be viewed asa male persistence trait. We predicted that poeciliid femalesneed to be more vigilant in the presence of noncourting males,and costs of harassment by noncourting males might be stronger.In a comparative approach we examined the costs of male sexualharassment for females as reduced feeding time in 9 speciesof live-bearing fishes, including courting (Poecilia latipinna,Poecilia reticulata, Xiphophorus cortezi, Xiphophorus variatus)and noncourting species (Poecilia mexicana [surface- and cave-dwellingform], Poecilia orri, Gambusia affinis, Gambusia geiseri, Heterandriaformosa). In all species examined except for the cave form ofP. mexicana, focal females spent significantly less time feedingin the presence of a male than when together with another female.The time females spent feeding was found to significantly declinewith increasing male mating activity (sum of all sexual behaviors),but there was no support for the idea that females would spendmore time feeding in the presence of courting males comparedwith noncourting ones.     

Avoiding a compromise between sexual selection and species recognition: female swordtail fish assess multiple species-specific cues

Females increase their risk of mating with heterospecifics whenthey prefer the traits of conspecifics that overlap with traitsfound in heterospecifics. Xiphophorus pygmaeus females havea strong preference for larger males, which could lead to femalespreferring to mate with heterospecific males; almost all sympatricX. cortezi males are larger than X. pygmaeus males. In thisstudy, we show that X. pygmaeus females preferred the chemicalcues from conspecifics over those of X. cortezi males. However,preference for the chemical cues of conspecifics could not reversethe preference for larger heterospecific males. Only when femaleswere presented with two species-specific cues (vertical barsand chemical cues) did more females spend more time on averagewith the smaller conspecific males. These results support the"backup signal" hypothesis for the evolution of multiple preferences;together, the two species-specific cues increased the accuracywith which females were able to avoid heterospecific males.In addition, the results suggest that in those situations inwhich the traits of conspecifics overlap with traits found inheterospecifics, females can use the assessment of multiplecues to avoid mating with heterospecifics without compromisingtheir preference for the highest-quality conspecific.     

Female egg dumping and the effect of sex ratio on male egg carrying in a coreid bug

Phyllomorpha laciniata Vill (Heteroptera, Coreidae) is uniqueamong terrestrial insects in that females glue eggs on the backsof other conspecifics. Egg carrying byP. laciniatamales haspreviously been considered as paternal care. We explored femaleoviposition with respect to previous mating experience of femalesand tested whether sex ratio affects male egg-carrying. Thehypothesis that male egg-carrying is a form of paternal carepredicts that a male should always accept eggs after matingwith a female. However, if male egg-carrying is a form of postcopulatorymate guarding rather than paternal care, egg carrying shouldincrease in the presence of other males. When two couples wereplaced together, females laid eggs on the backs of all individualsenclosed, including the backs of other females. However, whena female was accompanied by 2 males, 22 out of 26 females ovipositedon their mating partner. Thus, sexual competition rather thanpaternity alone, affects a male's eagerness to carry eggs. However,even if males sometimes carry their own eggs, females lay eggson the backs of all conspecifics they can easily acquire. Thus,egg carrying in P. laciniata is partially voluntary and partiallythe result of female egg dumping     

Bellows, copulations, and sexual selection in bison (Bison bison)

We provide data on the timing and frequency of bellowing episodesand 261 copulations in North American bison (Bison bison) extractedfrom more than 8500 h of observation to examine Darwin's ideathat by using breeding-season vocalizations the male "endeavoursthus to charm or excite the female." Copulatory status affectedvocalization rates; after mating, the frequency of male bellowingdropped to 16.1% of precopulatory rates (p < .0001). Malesbellowed at a higher rate on days when females were in estrus(p < .025) than when they were in anestrus, but females'probability of offspring production in the next year was notcorrelated with bellowing rate. For estrous females, bellowingwas positively correlated with number of attendant males (p< .0001) and inversely related both to the number of daysindividual males had participated in the rut (p < .05) andto the date during the 6-week breeding season (p < .003).Body size also influenced bellowing rate: with other factorsheld constant, small males bellowed more than large males (p< .03). With respect to Darwin's idea that vocalizationsserve as a male display to females, (1) males bellowed neitherbefore nor after copulating when rivals were absent but (2)they bellowed both before and after copulating when rivals werepresent. Overall, these results suggest that bison bellows donot serve as advertisements to females but function as intrasexualdisplays. [Behav Ecol 1991; 2: l-6]     

温度对草地螟成虫产卵和寿命的影响

在16℃、19℃、22℃、25℃.28℃,31℃和34℃的范围内, 草地螟(Loxostege sticticalis L.)成虫的产卵前期与温度的关系呈逻辑靳谛曲线,产卵雌蛾数、产卵历期和产卵量均以22℃为最高。初步确定19-25℃为草地螟蛾产卵的适温范围,22℃为最适产卵温度,16℃和34℃分别为产卵温度的下限和上限。成虫寿命与温度的关系为负相关(r=-0.91,P<0.01)。表明在试验温度范围内,温度越高,成虫寿命越短。但温度对雌雄成虫寿命的影响不一致,在28℃以下的温度内,雄蛾寿命比雌蛾长;在31-34℃的范围内,雄蛾寿命比雌蛾短。根据以上研究结果,对我国草地螟发生为害区的种群动态规律进行了讨论。     

The influence of changing temperature on the life history of Daphniopsis ephemeralis

We present evidence which suggests that for Daphniopsis ephemeralischanges in water temperature may directly cue changes in sexratio, ephippial and parthenogenetic egg production and indirectlydetermine female body size. Field data suggested that over anannual cycle, a population of D. ephemeralis comprised animalswith three distinct life history phases. The first was madeup of exephippial females which hatched in the fall. They produceda second group made up of large parthenogenetic females whichcould produce more than one overwintering generation. In thespring these parthenogenetic females gave rise to a third lifehistory phase which comprised males and small ephippial females.Field enclosure experiments suggested that the small size ofspring females was not related to predation. Laboratory experimentssuggested that ephippial egg production at small body sizeswas associated with ‘increasing’ temperature. Theseexperiments also suggested that the fall reproductive pattern(parthenogenetic eggs and large body sizes) was associated with‘decreasing’ temperatures. We conclude that directionalityof seasonal temperature change may be the prime factor responsiblefor D. ephemeralis life history changes observed in the field.     

Flash signals, nuptial gifts and female preference in photinus fireflies

The evolution of male courtship signals such as the bioluminescentflashes of fireflies may be shaped, at least in part, by femalepreference for particular characteristics of the male signal.These female preferences for male courtship signals may ariseas a result of the benefits of choosing males with particulartraits. One possible benefit of mate choice occurs if femalescan use male courtship signals as an honest indicator of malenutritional contributions at mating, nuptial gifts. This paperreviews female preference for male flash characteristics inPhotinus fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), and the potentialfor females to use male flash characteristics to predict nuptialgift quality. In Photinus firefly species with single pulseflashes females preferentially respond to flashes of greaterintensity and duration. Male Photinus provide a nuptial giftto females at mating in the form of a spermatophore and flashduration serves as a good predictor of spermatophore mass formales collected early in the season. However, Photinus firefliesdo not feed as adults, so spermatophore mass decreases withsubsequent matings. In response, nutrient-limited females maystop preferentially responding to longer duration flashes, increasingtheir overall responsiveness later in the mating season as theyforage for spermatophores. Therefore, the evolution of malecourtship signals in Photinus fireflies is the product not onlyof female preference for male flash characteristics, but alsothe costs and benefits of female choice that shape these preferences.     

Feeding, excretion and egg production by individuals and populations of the marine, planktonic copepods, Acartia spp. and Centropages furcatus

Diel variations in vertical distribution, gut pigment content,ammonium excretion and egg production were investigated foradult females of Acartia erythraea and A.pacifica in the verticallymixed Inland Sea of Japan and Centropages furcatus in the stratified,neritic Gulf of Mexico. Gut pigment content and egg productionrate were maximal at night and ammonium excretion was maximalduring the daytime. Neither A.erythraea nor A.pacifica adultfemales showed an apparent diel migration, but the former werehighly concentrated in the surface layer during the afternoon.In contrast, C.furcatus adult females showed a clear diel migration,residing immediately above the bottom during the daytime andbeing concentrated between 10 and 25 m depth during the nighttime.Individual-based data on gut content and excretion and egg productionrates were combined with vertical-distribution data to calculatepopulation values. In the Inland Sea of Japan, the resultantpattern for Acartia spp. reflected the diel variation in physiologicalrates and even distribution of adult females, except for theafternoon, surface aggregation of A.erythraea. In the Gulf ofMexico, the pattern for C.furcatus reflected largely the dielvariation in each rate process and the heterogeneous distributionof adult females in the water column. Elevated nocturnal feedingactivity of these copepods may be due to an endogenous rhythm.The daytime maximum in ammonium excretion and night-time maximumin egg production rate indicated approximate half-day and daytime lags, respectively, after the intake of food until itsconversion into dissolved excreta and released eggs.     

旋花蛾性信息素成分的鉴定

提取和鉴定了杂草田旋花Convolvulus arvensis的天敌旋花蛾Tyta luctuosa的性信息素主要成分,并应用风洞实验对雄蛾进行了测试。结果表明,腺体提取物和雌蛾求偶时所释放的主要性信息素成分均为2种化合物：顺-9-十四碳烯醛（Z9-14∶Ald）和顺-11-十六碳烯醛（Z11-16∶Ald）。腺体提取物中2种化合物的总量在个体间差异很大（22～167 ng）,但二者的比率相对稳定（Z9-14∶Ald/Z11-16∶Ald=0.3±0.15）。雌蛾所释放的性信息素量及比率在个体间也存在差异。每只雌蛾求偶时平均每小时释放94 ng Z9-14∶Ald和45 ng Z11-16∶Ald,平均比率为2.2。风洞实验结果显示,48%的雄蛾可被合成的性信息素混合物（0.4 μg Z9-14∶Ald, 2 μg Z11-16∶Ald）引诱完成逆风飞行并最终触及刺激源,而2种对照组（以求偶期雌蛾或性信息素腺体提取物为刺激源）的引诱率则分别为62%和44%。     

Fecundity limitation of Calanus helgolandicus, by the parasite Ellobiopsis sp.

The effect of the parasite Ellobiopsis sp., on the fecundityof Calanus helgolandicus and Calanoides carinatus in the Bayof Biscay, was investigated in May 2003. An average of 6.8%of C. helgolandicus females were infected with Ellobiopsis sp.,whereas none of the C. carinatus were found to be infected.An objective method of estimating gonad development was appliedto quantitatively measure the effect of the parasitism on thereproduction of the copepod. Parasitism by Ellobiopsis sp. hasthe potential to reduce the fecundity of C. helgolandicus females.