Delayed sexual maturity in males of<i>Vespa velutina</i>

Poidatz, Juliette; Bressac, Christophe; Bonnard, Olivier; Thiéry, Denis

doi:10.1111/1744-7917.12452

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(81 reference statements)

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“…First, it is possible that males are sexually immature at emergence and need a few days to reach sexual maturity. This phenomenon has been observed in other hymenopteran species and is linked to delayed sperm maturation after emergence (Quimio and Walter 2000; Moors et al 2009; Poidatz et al 2018). Second, male S. noctilio might become more eager to mate as they age or might become less choosy with time (Bonduriansky 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…Older males mated more (models H15, H14 and J). Similar to the effect of age on the number of attempts exhibited by males, the relationship between male age and mating success might be due to males needing to reach sexual maturity (Poidatz et al 2018). Model J demonstrated that this increase in mating success in older males was not only linked to an increase in the number of attempts by males, but also to an increase in female receptivity as males aged.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Female and maleSirex noctiliouse age and size to select a mate

Queffelec¹,

Allison²,

Slippers³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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While male mate choice in insects is a widely accepted concept, there is still limited evidence showing that lek formation is compatible with the evolution of male mate choice. In the woodwasp Sirex noctilio, males form leks that are used by females to select a mate. However, males have been observed to ignore certain females, suggesting the presence of male mate choice despite the presence of a lek mating system. In this study we demonstrate that males only attempt to mate with certain females. To understand the criteria used by males and females to select a mate, we also tested the effect of age, size, and male to female size ratio on the number of mating attempts made by males and on female receptivity. We demonstrate that size and age play a role in both male and female mate choice. Our results suggest that males must reach sexual maturity after emergence and are neither receptive nor attractive to females during the first few days of their lives. We also show that older females become less attractive to males, suggesting that female S. noctilio switch to a strict host location phase sometime after emergence. Our results show that male and female size, and the ratio between them, play a role in mate choice. While larger males are more motivated to mate, their large size can physically prevent them from mating with small females. Small females are also more attractive and more receptive to males, consistent with the presence of convenience polyandry in S. noctilio.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Female and maleSirex noctiliouse age and size to select a mate

Queffelec¹,

Allison²,

Slippers³

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…x 10 cm) inside a climatic chamber at 23°C±1°C, 12h/12h light. They had ad libidum access to water and honey like in previous studies (Poidatz et al, 2017).…”

Section: Insects Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous strains of Beauveria and Metharizium as potential biological control agents against the invasive hornet Vespa velutina

Poidatz

Plantey

Thiéry

2018

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology

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“…Cages had a round Ø 6 cm steel mesh (1.5 × 1.5 mm) at the centre of the top roof, 3 cm from the cage sides. Groups consisted of five nestmate males, aged between 10 and 20 days, in order to have sexually mature males (see Poidatz et al 2017). After 10 min of habituation, the stimulus, i.e.…”

Section: Behavioural Assaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female body size, weight and fat storage rather than nestmateship determine male attraction in the invasive yellow-legged hornetVespa velutina nigrithorax

Cappa

Cini

Pepiciello

et al. 2018

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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In the early stage of the invasion process, alien species may face costs linked to pioneer effect due to genetic bottleneck, drift and the consequential inbreeding depression. Thus, introduced species that show an immediate exponential growth in their invasive population should have some mechanisms to reduce such costs minimizing the chance of inbreeding or allowing them to cope with them. The yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax has been spotted in France in 2004; since then, the species has been invading Europe with a relentless pace. In their native range, males and reproductive females of a Chinese non-invasive sub-species of V. velutina seem to leave their nests to search for unrelated partners. However, previous studies showed a low genetic diversity and a high rate of diploid males in colonies of the invasive population, suggesting that mating could occur inside nests, where males should be able to discriminate between reproductive gynes and sterile workers. Here, we used laboratory behavioural assays to investigate the mating preferences of yellow-legged hornet males from the recent invasive population in Italy. We assessed the importance of nestmateship and female morpho-physiological traits, likely indicators of caste, in determining male attraction towards potential partners. Our results demonstrate that males are more attracted to bigger females with more abundant fat storage, good indicators of female reproductive caste in wasps, regardless of nestmateship. Our findings represent a first step in understanding the reproductive biology of V. velutina nigrithorax in its invasive range, providing a framework for future research in the field to prevent or reduce the species expansion.

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Delayed sexual maturity in males ofVespa velutina

Cited by 9 publications

References 82 publications

Female and maleSirex noctiliouse age and size to select a mate

Female and maleSirex noctiliouse age and size to select a mate

Indigenous strains of Beauveria and Metharizium as potential biological control agents against the invasive hornet Vespa velutina

Female body size, weight and fat storage rather than nestmateship determine male attraction in the invasive yellow-legged hornetVespa velutina nigrithorax

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