Oviposition behaviour and the sensilla of the ovipositor of Chilo partellus and Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Observations of oviposition behaviour by Chilo partellus revealed that antennae, ovipositor tip and possibly tarsi were all involved in the choice of oviposition site. Among a very large number of typical mechanoreceptor hairs on the tip of the ovipositor valves, two pairs of stouter, blunt-tipped hairs were discovered. These hairs alone took up silver nitrate stain and transmission electron microscope sections revealed that the hair shaft had a hollow lumen within which ran a group of four or five dendrites. It is concluded that these sensilla are contact chemoreceptors and they are positioned in such a way that, with the placing of each egg, they would contact the oviposition substrate. Similar hairs were found on the ovipositor of Spodoptera littoralis . It is suggested that the hairs may prevent oviposition on surfaces directly chemically harmful to the eggs.