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The courtship song of fanning males in the fruit fly parasitoid Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

A. Canale ,
G. Benelli ,
F. Lanzo ,
P. Giannotti ,
V. Mazzoni  and
A. Lucchi
A. Canale
Affiliation:
University of Pisa, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Sect. of Entomology, via S. Michele degli Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
G. Benelli
Affiliation:
University of Pisa, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Sect. of Entomology, via S. Michele degli Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
F. Lanzo
Affiliation:
University of Pisa, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Sect. of Entomology, via S. Michele degli Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
P. Giannotti
Affiliation:
University of Pisa, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Sect. of Entomology, via S. Michele degli Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
V. Mazzoni
Affiliation:
IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, via Edmund Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
A. Lucchi*
Affiliation:
University of Pisa, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Sect. of Entomology, via S. Michele degli Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
*
* Author for correspondence Fax: +39 (0)502216130 E-mail: alucchi@agr.unipi.it
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Abstract

In this paper we describe acoustically the wing-fanning behaviour showed by the male of the braconid Psyttalia concolor towards females and other conspecific males. Psyttalia concolor is a synovigenic koinobiont larval–pupal endoparasitoid of many Tephritidae, used in olive crops to control the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae. In this braconid male wing fanning produces a courtship song characterised by sequences of homogenous pulses with harmonic structure and a fundamental frequency of about 180 Hz. Song parameters can vary according to the behavioural context. Statistically significant differences, both in terms of pulse frequency and duration, characterise fanning towards females in comparison with male–male approaches. Moreover, the pulse duration is associated with the fanning song displayed before a successful courtship. Our observations allowed us to define the airborne component of the sound and to definitely confirm the exclusive role of the wings in signal production within sexual communication in P. concolor.

Keywords

acoustic cuesmating systemOpiinaeparasitic waspsensory channelswing fluttering
Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 103 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 303 - 309
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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