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Reproductive behaviour of a generalist aphidophagous ladybird beetle Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2007

Raj Bahadur Bind
Raj Bahadur Bind*
Affiliation:
Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226 007, India
*
*E-mail: drrajbind@gmail.com
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Abstract

The reproductive behaviour of a generalist aphidophagous ladybird beetle Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) was studied in detail. The males first mated at an age of about 2 days, while females mated at 1 day after their emergence. Mate recognition was displayed in five steps, viz. approach, watch, examine, mount and copulatory attempt. Being provided with four dummy models, the male appeared to recognize the female through visual and other possible cues, maybe chemical. The duration of mating was maximum (mean ± SE; 133.0 ± 2.8 min) when an unmated male copulated with a virgin female and minimum (95.0 ± 4.2 min) when a mated male copulated with a mated female. Mating duration seems to be influenced more by the change in male sexual status, thus revealing it to be male dominated. The maximum oviposition period (46.0 ± 1.2 days), fecundity (861.0 ± 2.2) and hatching percentage (64.0 ± 0.6) in C. sexmaculata were noticed after multiple matings, while these parameters were minimum (15.0 ± 1.0, 70.0 ± 2.8 and 37.0 ± 1.0, respectively) after single mating. Thus, multiple matings enhanced the total egg output and percentage of hatchability.

Keywords

coccinellidsladybird beetleCheilomenes sexmaculatareproductive behaviourcourtship and matingmate recognitionmating durationovipositionfecundityfertility
Type
Research Paper
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , June 2007 , pp. 78 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2007

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