The reproductive developmental biology and mating behavior of the soybean stem borer Dectes texanus texanus were studied in the laboratory. Adults live for up to a month, being sexually mature and able to mate from 5-days of age. Mating activity in Dectes is more prevalent between 14:00 h and 17:00 h, between 09:00 h and 14:00 h, females stridulate more and kick off advancing males. Mature eggs are first observed in virgin female ovarioles at 14 days of age. Mated females (8-days old) are able to oviposit 4-8 days after mating. Olfactometer and windtunnel studies demonstrated the lack of a volatile sex pheromone from either the adult male or female. Males approach females and tap the surface of the female's elytra and thorax with their antennae. Subsequently, the male mounts the female, licks her elytra with his palpi, bends his abdomen and finally initiates copulation. Solvent washes of females reveal the occurrence of a putative contact sex pheromone.
Species 1: Coleoptera Cerambycidae Dectes texanus (soybean stem borer)
Keywords: contact pheromone
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA