GAMMA-RADIATION EFFECTS ON REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL AND SPERM USE PATTERN IN PSEUDALETIA-SEPARATA (LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE)

Adult male Pseudaletia separata (Walker) were treated with 333 Cy of gamma radiation. Mating ability was not significantly different between irradiated and control males. However, females mated with irradiated males tended to have lower oviposition ion rates than those mated with normal males, suggesting that irradiated males might have reduced transfer ability. Because the sperm use pattern suggests that a male would lose 83% of his ring were his female to remate with a rival male. selection of males should favor evolution of characters to delay or prevent remating. The current study supports previous findings that large spermatophores in P. separata might have evolved to prevent female remitting.