Effects of mating on ovarian development and oviposition of Apolygus lucorum

Abstract

The polyphagous mirid bug Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an important pest of cotton and other crops in China. It would be useful to examine the reproductive biology of A. lucorum for the development of management strategies. In this study, the effect of mating on ovarian development, egg maturation, and oviposition of A. lucorum was investigated. The results showed that mating could induce ovary development and oviposition. During the preoviposition period (<7days after emergence), mated females had more follicles than did virgin females at both the vitellogenic and mature stages. The length of the longest ovariole and extent of ovarian development in mated females were also significantly higher than in virgin females. During oviposition, mated females laid more eggs than virgin females, whereas virgin females had more mature follicles than the mated females did. Twenty days after emergence (an old age for this species), the ovaries of mated females had begun to shrink and enter senescence phases, while the ovaries of virgin females still contained 3–5 follicles in each ovariole and remained plump. The results indicate that mating accelerated ovarian development and reproduction of A. lucorum.