Effects of delayed mating on the reproductive biology of the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Abstract

The effect of increasing mating delay on the reproductive performance and population growth rates of the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), was investigated under laboratory conditions. Virgin females were mated at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after emergence and reproductive and life table parameters were estimated. The pre-oviposition period (number of days between mating and the onset of oviposition) significantly decreased in females mated within 7 days, whereas females mated at older ages showed equivalent pre-oviposition periods (7 days, as shorter delays in mating did not reduce the population growth rates.

Influence of mating disruption on the reproductive biology of the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), under field conditions

“…Modifications in insect fitness resulting from mating delay have been studied in many lepidopteran species, in which delayed mating affects the reproductive output of females in several ways, including a reduction in fecundity . In contrast, the mating delay in P. ficus caused by mating disruption did not affect the number of oviposited eggs, in accordance with laboratory experiment findings in which vine mealybugs mated at increasing ages did not show any difference in fecundity . The fertility of females decreased significantly in disrupted plots.…”

“…However, mating delays affect the population dynamics of insects differently, and thus generalizations cannot be made. In fact, the pre‐reproductive period of P. ficus females under laboratory conditions did not greatly vary when matings occurred within 7 days, whereas it increased steeply in females that experienced longer mating delays . In the same study, the oviposition period, fecundity, and sex ratio were not affected by the female age at mating.…”

Ecology of female mating failure/lifelong virginity: a review of causal mechanisms in insects and arachnids

“…Learning and rejection of mating opportunities early in life are most prevalent in long-lived females with prolonged reproductive maturation and high rates of mate encounter (Wilgers & Hebets, 2012;Henshaw, 2018). As expected, mating early in life has limited impact on fecundity of long-lived females (Lentini et al, 2018;Roets et al, 2018).…”

“…These trends generally hold true in three taxonomic groups with female neoteny and similar reproductive biology: fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) (South et al., ; de Cock et al., ), bagworms (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) (Rhainds et al., ), and twisted wings parasites (Strepsiptera) (Hrabar et al., ; Kathirithamby et al., ). Neoteny is also common in scale insects (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) (da Silva et al., ; Normark, ) although adults are often long‐lived (>30 days) (Dogar et al., ; Lentini et al., ).…”

Does mating disruption of Planococcus ficus and Lobesia botrana affect the diversity, abundance and composition of natural enemies in Israeli vineyards?

“…Both pests are polyphagous and exhibit an aggregated spatial distribution . They are effectively controlled using MD, which delays mating and reduces reproductive performance in the females . We tested whether the MD treatment to control these pests influences the abundance, diversity and composition of parasitoid wasps and spiders in wine‐producing vineyards located in the eastern Mediterranean basin.…”