THE EFFECT OF SEX RATIO AND GROUP DENSITY ON THE MATING SUCCESS OF TWO
LINES OF DELIA PLATURA (DIPTERA: ANTHOMYIIDAE)
Abstract
Many control methods target agricultural pests’ reproductive traits and
so, knowledge of these traits is crucial. The seedcorn maggot, Delia
platura (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), is reported as a cosmopolitan
polyphagous pest species which can be found in high numbers in numerous
crops. Two morphologically identical genetic lines of D. platura (H- and
N- lines) with distinct distribution ranges were recently discovered.
While many biological traits have been described for D. platura, no
study to date has been conducted on the life history strategies and
reproductive behaviors of its two lines. Using laboratory-reared
colonies originating from the Montérégie region in Québec, this project
investigates the effect of group composition (sex-ratio and density) on
the mating success and pre-oviposition period of the two D. platura
lines. We found a substantial increase in mating success with increasing
proportion of males within mating groups for both lines while group
density had negligeable effects. These results corroborate reports of D.
platura high-density swarms in which sex ratios are usually male-biased.
The pre-oviposition period decreased as the ratio of males to female
increased at low density only for the N-line while the opposite trend
was observed at high density for both lines. These results suggest
differences between the mating systems of these two lines, with the
H-line females being choosier towards potential mates than those of the
N-line. We also describe reproductive traits of both lines along with
their implications for integrated pest management strategies such as the
sterile insect technique or the release of individuals carrying
pathogens, both of which must take into account the high degree of
sexual selection present in such group contexts. Keywords: reproductive
biology, mating dynamics, seedcorn maggot, swarms