EXISTENCE OF SEX-PHEROMONE IN CARYEDON SE RRATUS (OL) - FEMALE ATTRACTIVENESS AND MALE REACTIVITY

The female of Caryedon serratus release, from the beginning of scotoph ase, a sex pheromone witch triggers a positive chemoanemotaxy in males . The effects of age on female attractiveness and on male reactivity a re studied. About 70.37% of males begin to react to the sex pheromone within the first 24 h after emergence. At this age, only one female ou t of 31 is attractive. At 48 h, the percentage of attractive females i s 38.7%. There is inter and intra-female variation in sex pheromone pr oduction (beginning, regularity). The existence of receptors on male a ntennae for this pheromone is shown by electrophysiology (EAG). The va riability in sex pheromone production is discussed.