Eur. J. Entomol. 101 (4): 539-545, 2004 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2004.077

Decreased mating propensity of macropterous morph in a flightless wing-polymorphic insect, Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera)

Radomír SOCHA
Institute of Entomology, Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, C-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;

The effect of wing length (brachyptery and macroptery) on mating activity was investigated in adult males and females of a flightless wing-polymorphic insect, Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.). Mating activity of the brachypterous and macropterous adult bugs was assessed according to 14 different parameters. The competition tests revealed higher numbers of copulations and greater duration of mating activity in brachypterous than in macropterous males. Brachypterous males are between two to four times more successful in competition for females than their macropterous counterparts, depending on the wing morph and physiological status of the females. Decreased mating success of macropterous males is associated with the smaller size of their accessory glands. Lowered competitive ability for mates is a likely penalty associated with macroptery. Receptivity tests showed the highest tendency to mate in reproductive brachypterous females, lower in macropterous females and the least in diapausing brachypterous females. This is the first report of decreased mating propensity of macropterous morphs in insects with non-functional wing polymorphism. The association of lowered mating success with the higher dispersal activity of the macropterous morph in this bug and a trade-off between the ability to reproduce and to disperse in the flightless wing-polymorphic insects is discussed.

Keywords: Pyrrhocoris apterus, non-functional wing polymorphism, wing morphs, males, females, mating success, receptivity

Received: January 21, 2004; Revised: March 26, 2004; Accepted: June 28, 2004; Published: December 20, 2004  Show citation

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SOCHA, R. (2004). Decreased mating propensity of macropterous morph in a flightless wing-polymorphic insect, Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera). EJE, 101(4), 539-545. doi: 10.14411/eje.2004.077
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