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Field investigation of mating behaviour of Agrilus cyanescens and Agrilus subcinctus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2012

Jonathan P. Lelito
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Emerald Ash Borer Program, 5936 Ford Court Suite 200, Brighton, Michigan 48116, United States of America
Michael J. Domingue
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States of America
Ivich Fraser
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, 5936 Ford Court Suite 200, Brighton, Michigan 48116, United States of America
Victor C. Mastro
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection, Service Plant Protection, and Quarantine Center for Plant Health Science and Technology,Otis Laboratory, Building 1398, Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts 02542, United States of America
James H. Tumlinson
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States of America
Thomas C. Baker*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States of America
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]).

Abstract

We examined mate-finding behaviour in Agrilus subcinctus Gory (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and Agrilus cyanescens Ratzeburg (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in ash (Fraxinus L. (Oleaceae)) stands in the Great Lakes region of the United States of America. Dead specimens of both species were affixed to ash foliage to serve as models to test visual stimulation of aerial attraction of males. The models were washed in dichloromethane to remove cuticular lipids or were left unwashed, to test for the presence of close-range pheromonal cues. Males of both species located females via a visually guided aerial approach from up to 1 m above females, similar to the behaviour of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. When male A. subcinctus or A. cyanescens made contact with females, contact sex pheromones mediated subsequent copulation behaviour. During their visually mediated airborne descent and landing, male A. cyanescens landed directly on female models; whereas, male A. subcinctus landed significantly more often on the leaf surface supporting a model. Male A. subcintus performed precopulatory pounce behaviour on female models after assessing surface chemical cues with their antennae. Male A. cyanescens landed upon a variety of models, but after landing, rejected a significant proportion of models lacking female A. cyanescens cuticular lipids.

Résumé

Nous étudions le comportement de recherche de partenaire chez Agrilus subcinctus Gory et A grilus cyanescens Ratzeburg (Coleoptera : Buprestidae) dans des peuplements de frênes (Fraxinus L. (Oleaceae)) dans la région des Grands Lacs aux États-Unis. Nous avons fixé des spécimens morts des deux espèces à du feuillage de frênes pour servir de modèles afin de vérifier la présence de stimulation visuelle dans l'attraction aérienne des mâles. Les modèles ont été lavés au dichlorométhane afin de retirer les lipides de la cuticule ou alors laissés sans lavage, afin de vérifier la présence de signaux de phéromones à courte distance. Les mâles des deux espèces retrouvent les femelles par une approche aérienne à orientation visuelle jusqu'à une distance de 1 m au-dessus des femelles, un comportement semblable à celui d'A grilus planipennis Fairmaire. Une fois que le mâle d'A. subcintus ou d'A. cyanescens a fait contact avec la femelle, les phéromones sexuelles de contact élicitent le comportement d'accouplement subséquent. Lors de leur descente aérienne à vue et leur atterrissage, les mâles d'A. cyanescens se posent directement sur les modèles femelles, alors que les mâles d'A. subcinctus atterrissent significativement plus souvent sur la surface de la feuille qui porte le modèle. Dans leur comportement pré-copulatoire, les mâles d'A. subcinctus se précipitent sur les modèles de femelles après avoir évalué les signaux chimiques de surface avec leurs antennes. Les mâles d'A. cyanescens se posent sur une variété de modèles, mais après s'être posés, ils rejettent une proportion significative des modèles qui ne portent pas les lipides cuticulaires d'A. cyanescens.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Behavior & Ecology
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2011

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