Effectiveness of the mating plug in Atrophaneura alcinous (Lepidoptera : Papilionidae) |
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Authors: | K Matsumoto N Suzuki |
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Institution: | (1) Tama Forest Science Garden, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 193 Todori-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan;(2) Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, 812 Hakozaki, Fukuoka, Japan;(3) Present address: Research Division 1, Tropical Agriculture Research Center, 305 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan;(4) Present address: Nagasaki Prefectural University, 858 Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan |
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Abstract: | Summary At mating, males of Atrophaneura alcinous plug the female copulatory duct with a secretory material, but some females copulate several times and can receive spermatophores from different males up to three times. Remating by plugged females mostly takes place shortly after the first mating, when the freshly formed first plug has not completely hardened. A freshly formed plug can be pressed aside or tunneled by the male aedeagus, and thus intromission and subsequent spermatophore transfer are sometimes possible. This is not always the case, however, and larger plugs are more likely to prevent aedeagus intrusion even if they are not completely hardened. Also, a few females remated a day after the first mating or later, when the first plug is already very hard. Completely hardened plugs are more effective than freshly formed ones; later mating males can thrust the aedeagus into the ductus bursae only when the plug is less than ca 1.2 mg (dry weight). The occurrence of female re-mating in plug-forming species thus does not necessarily mean that the plug is ineffective.
Offprint requests to: K. Matsumoto |
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