COPULATION AND OVIPOSITION BEHAVIOR OF PROTOPIOPHILA-LITIGATA (DIPTERA, PIOPHILIDAE)

Using field and laboratory (stereoscope) observations, we investigated copulation and oviposition behaviours of Protopiophila litigata Bondu riansky, which mates and oviposits exclusively on discarded cervid ant lers. Typically, a male leapt onto a female, briefly tapped the sides of her abdomen with his legs, then stimulated her abdominal tip with h is tarsi, parameres, and gonopods until she extended her genitalia (si milar to 4 min), after which the pair established genital lock (simila r to 10 min). Meanwhile, the female emigrated to a part of the antler where density of single males was lower. Following sperm transfer (sim ilar to 87 min) and genital separation (similar to 5 min), the female deposited and ingested two droplets containing spermatozoa (similar to 6 min). Then she oviposited (similar to 29 min) into cracks or pores in the antler's surface while the male remained in tandem and pushed a way single males with his wings. Males often wrestled for possession o f females, but take-overs were rare. Whereas most aspects of the copul ation-oviposition cycle of P. litigata are characteristic of other nec rophagous or scatophagous flies, the manner in which P. litigata femal es expel and ingest ejaculate materials after copulation has not been reported in any other species of Diptera.