Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T21:52:10.586Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

SOME FACTORS INFLUENCING INSEMINATION IN LABORATORY SWARMS OF CHIRONOMUS RIP ARIUS (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

A. E. R. Downe
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

Abstract

The frequency of insemination of females in laboratory swarms of Chironomus riparius Meigen was investigated using autoradiographic techniques. In swarms in which the sexes were nearly equally represented the majority of females were invariably inseminated. The frequency of inseminations for a given population of males declined with aging. There was variation among individual males in the numbers of females inseminated and the timing of inseminations in a succession of eocrepuscular swarms. Unmated females appeared to be receptive to insemination throughout most of their adult life. Insemination or injection of extracts of males rendered the females unreceptive to subsequent inseminations. Unmated females held in cages for longer than 48 hr were found to resorb the eggs in one of their ovaries.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Caspary, V. G. and Downe, A. E. R.. 1971. Swarming and mating of Chironomus riparius (Diptera: Chironomidae). Can. Ent. 103: 444448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, G. B. Jr. 1967. Mosquitoes: Female monogamy induced by male accessory gland substance. Science 156: 14991501.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Downe, A. E. R. and Caspary, V. G.. 1973. The swarming behaviour of Chironomus riparius (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the laboratory. Can. Ent. 105: 165171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Downe, A. E. R., Caspary, V. G., and Newkirk, M. M.. 1973. Autoradiographic detection of insemination in female Nematocera. J. Kans. ent. Soc. In press.Google Scholar
Downes, J. A. 1969. The swarming and mating flight of Diptera. A. Rev. Ent. 14: 271278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fuchs, M. S., Craig, G. B. Jr., and Hiss, E. A.. 1968. The biochemical basis of female monogamy in mosquitoes. I. Extraction of the active principle from Aedes aegypti. Life Sciences 7: 835839.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grodhaus, G. 1971. Sporadic parthenogenesis in three species of Chironomus (Diptera). Can. Ent. 103: 338340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hein, J. and Schmulbach, J. C.. 1971. Intraspecific and interspecific breeding behaviour of Chironomus pallidivittatus (Diptera: Chironomidae). Can. Ent. 103: 458464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacob, J. and Sirlin, J. L.. 1958. Labelling of insect spermatozoa by adenine-8-C14. Experientia 14: 402403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliver, D. R. 1971. Life history of the Chironomidae. A. Rev. Ent. 16: 211230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Syrjamaki, J. 1966. Dusk swarming of Chironomus pseudothummi Strenzke (Dipt., Chironomidae). Ann. Zool. Fenn. 3: 2028.Google Scholar