REPRODUCTIVE-BEHAVIOR OF THE HONEYDEW MOTH, CRYPTOBLABES-GNIDIELLA

The reproductive behavior of the honeydew moth, Cryptoblabes gnidiella (Milliere) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), was studied in the laboratory. T he sex ratio was 1.1:1, males to females, in both laboratory and field stocks. Most of the females that mated did so during the first night after emergence; males began mating on the following night. Mating occ urred 1-2 h before dawn and averaged 100 min. Both sexes mated only on ce in one night. Most females mated only once in their lifetime, a few mated 2-4 times, whereas males mated up to six times per lifetime. In sects that lived longer also mated more times. When the sex ratio was altered from 3:1 to 1:3, males to females, the percentage of females t hat mated in one night dropped from 90 to 65, whereas the number of ma tings per male rose from 0.32 to 2.25. When fresh one-day-old females were provided daily at a ratio of three per male, the males averaged 1 .4 matings per lifetime vs. 2.6 with 2- to 3-day-old females. A delay in mating did not affect the percentages of males and females that mat ed; highest percentages were obtained with 2- to 4-day-old males and f emales, but a delay in mating resulted in egg fertility dropping from 91 % to 73 %. The preoviposition period lasted a full day after mating , and then most of the eggs were laid during the first night. Average fecundity was 105 eggs per female (maximum: 230).