Journal of Insect Behavior (2004) 17, 227-245

Ling-lan Cheng, Ralph W. Howard, James F. Campbell, Ralph E. Charlton, James R. Nechols and Sonny B. Ramaswamy (2004)
Mating behavior of Cephalonomia tarsalis (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) and the effect of female mating frequency on offspring production
Journal of Insect Behavior 17 (2), 227-245
Abstract: The courtship behavior of Cephalonomia tarsalis, a solitary semiectoparasitoid of Oryzaephilus surinamensis, was investigated in the laboratory. Courtship behavior includes a series of stereotypic movements. Males play the most active role, executing the majority of courtship action, and females respond with relatively limited observable behaviors. Males typically keep antennae still during encounters with females prior to mounting, which may be correlated with recognition of the female's sexual status. After mounting, males display a series of movements on females, such as antennae touching female's antennae, antennae or mouth touching female's head or thorax, and walking around on female, which may serve to stimulate females towards increased receptivity. Females signal receptivity by assuming a stereotypical posture of remaining stationary, with head down, and antennae still in front of the body. The male then inserts his aedeagus and the pair copulates. After an average of 40.4 s of copulation, females signal the end of copulation by waving the antennae and moving away from the copulation site. Males continue copulating for a short time after females start moving but dismount soon thereafter. After dismounting, the two wasps move away from each other immediately, and they typically begin grooming. Neither males nor females exhibit mating preference based on mate's mating status in both choice and no-choice tests. The male is polygynous and the mated female can mate multiple times within the first 3 days after starting oviposition. However, female mating frequency does not affect the production of female progeny.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Sonny B. Ramaswamy, James F. Campbell, Ling Lan Cheng

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Oryzaephilus surinamensis
Cephalonomia tarsalis (parasitoid)	Oryzaephilus surinamensis