MATING-BEHAVIOR IN 2 TIGER BEETLES, CICINDELA-DORSALIS AND C-PURITANA(COLEOPTERA, CICINDELIDAE)

The copulatory behaviors of two species of tiger beetles were quantifi ed. Mean duration of a complete copulatory sequence was much shorter f or Cicindela d. dorsalis Say (6.1 min) and for C.d. media LeConte (6.2 min) than for C. puritana G. Horn (39 min). Cicindela puritana also h ad more pumping of the aedeagus and more reinsertions per pairing than C. dorsalis. Furthermore, the copulatory sequence of C. puritana diff ered from that documented from other cicindelids by exhibiting a large number of shallow pumps or movements of the aedeagus without deep ins ertion. Copulation in the species studied involved only partial withdr awal of the aedeagus and an absence of three clearly defined phases as described for Pseudoxychila tarsalis Bates. These differences in copu latory behavior among species and genera of tiger beetles may have imp ortant functional and phylogenetic significance.