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Previous exposure to other males leads to prolonged copulation by a predatory true bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2012

David R. Horton
David R. Horton*
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, Washington 98951, United States of America (e-mail: David.Horton@ars.usda.gov).
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Abstract

Mating pairs of Anthocoris whitei Reuter (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) irregularly exhibit copulations exceeding five hours in duration. In other Heteroptera, male-biased sex ratios or high densities of male conspecifics may lead to prolonged copulation. I tested whether exposure to conspecific males preceding access to females led to prolonged copulations by A. whitei. Copulations in which the male had been exposed to other males were significantly longer (by 60+ minutes) than copulations in which the male had not been exposed to other males. Durations exceeded five hours in several pairings following exposure to other males. Almost 75% of copulations in which males had not been exposed to other males were <100 minutes in duration, whereas only 22%–29% of copulations involving males that had been exposed to other males were <100 minutes in duration. Atypically long copulations by this species may be a form of postinsemination mate guarding to prevent insemination of a guarded female by other males.

Résumé

Les couples en copulation d’Anthocoris whitei Reuter (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) peuvent de manière inusitée avoir des accouplements qui durent plus de cinq heures. Chez d'autres Hétéroptères, des rapports des sexes qui favorisent les mâles ou de fortes densités de mâles de même espèce peuvent provoquer des accouplements prolongés. Ce travail vérifie si une exposition à des mâles de même espèce avant l'accès aux femelles entraîne des accouplements prolongés chez A. whitei. Les accouplements impliquant des mâles exposés préalablement à d'autres mâles sont significativement plus longs (de 60 minutes et plus) que les accouplements impliquant des mâles non exposés à d'autres mâles. La durée dépasse cinq heures dans plusieurs accouplements après une exposition à d'autres mâles. Presque 75% des accouplements faits par des mâles non exposés à d'autres mâles durent moins de 100 minutes, alors que seulement 22%–29% des accouplements des mâles exposés à d'autres mâles durent moins de 100 minutes. Les accouplements anormalement longs chez cette espèce peuvent être une forme de rétention de la partenaire après l'insémination afin d'empêcher une insémination subséquente de la femelle ainsi retenue par d'autres mâles.

Type
Behaviour & Ecology – NOTE
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 145 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 88 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2013

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