Influence of ambient and thoracic temperatures upon sexual behaviour of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar |
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Authors: | R. T. CARDE T. E. HAGAMAN |
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Affiliation: | Department of Entomology and Pesticide Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACT. In an ambient temperature ( T a) range of 18–28°C, thoracic temperatures ( T th) of individual male Lymantria dispar (L.), caught at flight in the field, ranged from 21 to 36.5°C, with a correlation coefficient of 0.63 between T th and ambient temperature ( T a). Ambient temperature (and insolation) altered the insect's body temperature and the probabilities, latencies, and durations of preflight responses to pheromone. In a wind tunnel at 16 and 20°C, quiescent males exposed to pheromone raised their T th by sustained wing fanning from 17 and 21°C, respectively, to c. 24°C before takeoff. At 24 and 28°C ambient, T th rose by takeoff to 28 and 31°C, respectively. The latencies of male wing fanning in response to pheromone decreased from 1.44 min at 16°C ambient, to 0.58 min at 20°C, to 0.26 min at 24°C, and to 0.16min at 28°C. The components of behaviour (antennal twitch, body jerk, step and wing tremor) that occurred between quiescence and wing fanning were more frequent at ambients of 16 and 20°C than at 24 and 28°C. |
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Keywords: | gypsy moth behaviour sexual behaviour temperature effects |
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