0505576 - ÚI 2020 RIV CZ eng J - Journal Article
Honěk, A. - Martinková, Z. - Brabec, Marek
Mating Activity of Pyrrhocoris Apterus (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae) in Nature.
European Journal of Entomology. Roč. 116, June 14 (2019), s. 187-193. ISSN 1210-5759. E-ISSN 1802-8829
Institutional support: RVO:67985807
Keywords : Heteroptera * Pyrrhocoridae * Pyrrhocoris apterus * firebug * behaviour * copulation * daily changes * seasonal changes * sperm depletion
OECD category: Statistics and probability
Impact factor: 1.051, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Open access

The mating behaviour of Pyrrhocoris apterus in the laboratory is well studied, but little is known about it under natural conditions. In natural populations in Central Europe, overwintered adults start copulating in March and continue until their death. Caged females, kept under natural conditions in the permanent presence of males, copulated repeatedly. Their mating activity increased sharply until early April, then very slowly until the end of June and then declined as the females die-off. Half of copulations were short (< 5 h) and only 9% were longer than 1 day. By contrast, in natural populations, mating activity (percentage of individuals involved in copula) reached its maximum in April and then decreased until early July, when the overwintered adults die. The decline in mating frequency (percentage of adults involved in copula) was associated with a decrease in the availability of receptive females towards the end of the mating period. For a female, repeated copulation is necessary because sperm is nearly depleted after insemination of 3-5 egg batches.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0297051