MATED-LIKE BEHAVIOR IN SENESCENT VIRGIN FEMALES OF GYPSY-MOTH, LYMANTRIA-DISPAR

After mating, females of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) stop producing sex pheromone, become sexually non-receptive, and commence oviposition. These post-mating behaviours were observed to occur spontaneously in senescent virgin females. Strong correlation was shown betweer decrease in sex pheromone, initiation of oviposition and loss of sexual receptivity in ageing virgin females. Thus, the mechanism which induces the change from virgin to mated behaviour appears to reside within the female, although it would be normally triggered in younger females by signals associated with mating. Removal of the spermatheca or bursa copulatrix from virgin females did not prevent the appearance of mated-like behaviour as the females aged. © 1990.