| Title: | Singing on the wings! Male wing fanning performances affect female willingness to copulate in the aphid parasitoid Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) |
| Author(s): | Benelli G; Kavallieratos NG; Donati E; Giunti G; Stefanini C; Canale A; |
| Address: | "Insect Behavior Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Kifissia, Attica, Greece. The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pontedera Pisa, Italy" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1744-7917 (Electronic) 1672-9609 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) is a generalist endoparasitoid attacking more than 100 aphid species. In L. testaceipes, wing fanning is a main male courtship display evoked by a female-borne sex pheromone. However, no information is available on the characteristics and behavioral role of male fanning during courtship in this parasitoid. Here, the courtship behavior of a wild strain of L. testaceipes was quantified and the male wing fanning performances were analyzed through high-speed video recordings and examined in relation to mating success. Courtship sequence of wild L. testaceipes did not substantially differ from that previously reported for other populations mass reared on aphids. We observed that the male courtship duration did not affect mating success. However, video analysis revealed that the males producing high-frequency fanning signals achieved higher mating success over those that display low-frequency fanning. Wing fanning before successful and unsuccessful courtship differed in amplitude of wing movements and alignment toward the mate, highlighting that frontal courtship positively influence the female mating decisions. This study increases knowledge on sexual behavior in a key parasitoid of aphids, highlighting the importance of wing fanning among the range of sensory modalities used in the sexual communication of L. testaceipes. From a practical point of view, this information is useful in L. testaceipes-based biocontrol strategies, since it can help to establish parameters for quality checking of mass-reared wasps over time" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Aphids/*parasitology Copulation Courtship Female Male Sexual Behavior, Animal Wasps/*physiology Wings, Animal/physiology biocontrol agent mating success parasitic wasp sensory ecology sexual communication;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBenelli, Giovanni Kavallieratos, Nickolas G Donati, Elisa Giunti, Giulia Stefanini, Cesare Canale, Angelo eng Australia 2015/02/03 Insect Sci. 2016 Aug; 23(4):603-11. doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.12201. Epub 2015 Apr 9" |
