Copulation behaviour of Lygocoris pabulinus under laboratory conditions

As a prerequisite to the elucidation of the sex pheromone of the green caps id bug Lygocoris pabulinus (L.), we studied the bug's reproductive developm ent and behaviour. When kept under long-day conditions (L18:D6) at 25 degre es C, both males and females start to copulate 4 days after the final moult . Second matings occur in some females, even on consecutive days. The prema ting period is 10 min on average and copulation lasts 1 to 2 min. At long r ange, when males are attracted to traps baited with live females, we did no t observe a specific calling position of the females. At short range, a cha racteristic courtship behaviour of the females was not observed either. Mal es showed a characteristic vibration of the abdomen, which was repeated sev eral times before copulation. This behaviour can be used as a bioassay to t est potential sex pheromone compounds.