Cuticular Compounds Recognition and Mating Behavior of the Rice Water Weevil Oryzophagus oryzae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

• Published in: Journal of insect behavior Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 812 - 823
• Main Authors: Martins, Camila B. C, Saad, Emir B, de Almeida, Lúcia M, Zarbin, Paulo H. G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer-Verlag 01.11.2013; Springer US; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: adults; Agriculture; aldehydes; Animal behavior; Animal Ecology; Animal ethology; Animal reproduction; aquatic organisms; Behavioral Sciences; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Coleoptera; copulation; Curculionidae; Entomology; Evolutionary Biology; females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Insects; Life Sciences; Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus; males; Neurobiology; Oryza sativa; photophase; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; scotophase; Aquatic weevil; copulation; cuticle extraction; pre-mating sequence; mate recognition; Coleoptera; Insecta; Sexual behavior; Cuticle; Mating; Mate recognition; Arthropoda; Curculionidae; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0892-7553; 1572-8889
• DOI: 10.1007/s10905-013-9396-2

Oryzophagus oryzae mating behavior and mate recognition were investigated. Bioassays revealed that couples had intense sexual activity in the first 3 h of photophase and scotophase. Adults mated and re-mated at any time of day in the presence of water; however, in the absence of water, only 10 % of adults mated, meaning that water was important for couples to find each other. In the sequence of pre-mating behaviors bioassay four steps were observed and females were always attracted to males, seeking them, before copulation; after mating, males showed guarding activity of variable duration, allowing remating. Cuticule extractions revealed that both sexes had similar cuticular chemical compounds. They were identified as aldehydes and a ketone, probably because of its aquatic life habits. Bioassays suggested that males recognized females by their cuticle composition.