Abstract
Copulation and/or ejaculate components can alter female physiological state and female post-mating behavior. The objective of the present study was to determine if copulation and male reproductive accessory gland products (MAGs) modify the behavior of female Anastrepha ludens (Loew) and Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart; Diptera: Tephritidae) in response to two stimuli: male-emitted pheromone and oviposition host volatiles. Olfactometry studies revealed that mated females of both A. ludens and A. obliqua have a stronger response for host volatiles compared to unmated females, which have a stronger response for male pheromone. We also examined olfactory responses of females mated to testectomized males who could transfer MAGs but not sperm. In both species, MAGs alone did not cause the change in the olfactory response observed after copulation, unlike what has been found in Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Females mated to testectomized males responded equally to the male sex pheromone or to host volatiles, thus suggesting that the whole ejaculate is needed to elicit the complete behavioral switch in olfactory response. The function of MAGs is still unknown in these two pests of economic importance. The response for host volatiles by mated females has implications for the development of baits and traps that should preferably attract and target this population.
Highlights
In insect reproduction, the stimuli that females receive during copulation can produce a series of morphological and physiological changes
For A. obliqua, mated and unmated females did not show a preference between male pheromone and no stimulus (χ2 = 1.09, df = 1, p = 0.297, N = 53; Figure 1B)
Between treatments we found that more unmated females responded towards male pheromone, females mated with intact males responded more towards host volatiles, and no clear preference for females mated with testectomized males (Figure 6)
Summary
The stimuli that females receive during copulation can produce a series of morphological and physiological changes. Transfer of sperm can trigger oocyte and embryonic development (Avila et al, 2010; Findlay et al, 2014; Wainwright et al, 2021), whereas the mode of action of MAGs is not known for most species, in some species, these stimuli act on the female nervous system, causing the release of neurosecretions that generate changes in the female (Engelman, 1970; Heifetz and Wolfner, 2004; Yapici et al, 2008; Avila et al, 2012; Rubinstein and Wolfner, 2013; Heifetz et al, 2014). These changes in female postcopulatory phenotypes are relevant for insect pests, as this information may allow us to develop tools for their successful control
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