A behavioural gynandromorph of Bombyx mori

ABSTRACT. The mating behaviour of experimentally produced gynandromorphs of the silkworm moth, Bombyx mori L., were observed. Of 232 gynandromorphs, thirty-two showed unusual bisexual behaviours. The bisexual behaviours were classified into four behavioural types: 'dual personality', 'schizophrenic', 'intersexual' and 'sequence-crossed'. The dual personality gynandromorphs behaved like a male at one time and like a female at another. The schizophrenics displayed male and female behaviours simultaneously in different parts of their body. The intersexuals showed a mixed type of male and female behaviours. The sequence-crossed animals performed the wrong sexual behaviour (e.g. female) in the context of one sex (e.g. male) when the behaviour of the other sex (i.e. male) would normally have been appropriate. These bisexual behaviours are discussed in terms of sensory and neural mechanisms.