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First Quantification of Courtship Behavior in a Silver Fly, Leucopis palumbii (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae): Role of Visual, Olfactory and Tactile Cues

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Abstract

Research on the courtship and mating behavior of insects is the first step toward a full understanding of their behavioral ecology. Investigating mating behavioral sequences could help to unravel mate assessment and mate choice dynamics in entomophagous organisms, adding useful information to develop behavior-based control strategies. In this research, courtship and mating displays, magnitude of male-male sexual interactions and role of female-borne cues evoking male courtship were analyzed in Leucopis palumbii Rondani (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), a larval predator of aphids. Courtship was initiated by the male and was characterized by three main steps: chasing of the female, wing fanning in her close proximity and tarsal tapping with forelegs on the female’s body. Copulation may follow lasting 765 ± 211.25 s. Same-sex interactions among males (i.e. wing fanning followed by tarsal tapping) were also registered. Male fanning before a successful courtship differed from fanning performed prior to an unsuccessful approach in terms of mean frequency. Female-borne stimuli played a key role in eliciting courtship responses from males. The best male’s response was achieved when physical and chemical cues arising from the female body were contemporarily provided, allowing synergistic visual, olfactory and tactile perception. Results contribute to understanding the role of visual, olfactory and tactile channels among sensory modalities used by aphidophagous Chamaemyiidae during sexual communication.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Angelo Canale and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, Augusto Loni for discussions on the courtship behavior in Leucopis genus, Paolo Giannotti for providing the artworks, Giulia Giunti and Giulia Fiore for their assistance during the experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Insect Behaviour Group, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Benelli & Alfio Raspi

  2. Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, The BioRobotics Institute, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, 56025, Pisa, Italy

    Gabriella Bonsignori & Cesare Stefanini

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  1. Giovanni Benelli
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  2. Gabriella Bonsignori
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  3. Cesare Stefanini
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  4. Alfio Raspi
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Correspondence to Giovanni Benelli.

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Benelli, G., Bonsignori, G., Stefanini, C. et al. First Quantification of Courtship Behavior in a Silver Fly, Leucopis palumbii (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae): Role of Visual, Olfactory and Tactile Cues. J Insect Behav 27, 462–477 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-014-9443-7

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