REPRODUCTIVE-BEHAVIOR OF COPITARSIA-CONSUETA (WALKER) (LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE) - MATING FREQUENCY, EFFECT OF AGE ON MATING, AND INFLUENCE OF DELAYED MATING ON FECUNDITY AND EGG FERTILITY

This study determined: mating frequency, effect of age on mating, and effect of delayed mating on fecundity and egg fertility of Copitarsia consueta (Walker). Females copulated (mean +/- SD) 2.5 +/- 1.2 times ( range 1-6), but only once per night. Mating frequency increased with m oth age. Males mated an average of 2.4 +/- 1.5 times during their live s (range 1-7), although only once per night. Copitarsia consueta start mating two days after emergence, although only 33% of the pairs mated this early. Mating frequency increased with moth age, reaching a peak 7 days after eclosion. Females mated when 2 days old laid significant ly more eggs than those in which mating was delayed till 4, 6, and 8 d ays after eclosion. Fertility was 70.2% in females mating when 2 days old. It decreased to 50.9, 6.5, and 0.4% when mating was delayed until 4, 6, and 8 days after eclosion, respectively.