Reproductive traits and number of matings in males and females of Cerambyx welensii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) an emergent pest of oaks

2015 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.M. Torres-Vila ◽  
F.J. Mendiola-Diaz ◽  
Y. Conejo-Rodríguez ◽  
Á. Sánchez-González
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Oviposition Period ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Mating History ◽  
Preoviposition Period ◽  
Period 2 ◽  
Cerambyx Welensii

AbstractThe longhorn beetle Cerambyx welensii is an emerging pest involved in oak decline episodes, whose damage is increasingly reported in dehesa open woodlands. Knowledge of the reproductive biology of C. welensii is a crucial goal due to its new pest status. In this study, we assess the reproductive traits of both sexes in the laboratory (25°C and 60% relative humidity ). In females, body length was 44.9 ± 0.9 mm (mean ± SE), fecundity 132 ± 12 eggs, fertility 70 ± 1 %, longevity 70 ± 3 days, preoviposition period 2 ± 0.2 days, oviposition period 44 ± 3 days and postoviposition period 19 ± 3 days. Fecundity was positively correlated with female size, longevity and oviposition period. Daily fecundity was 3.0 ± 0.2 eggs/day and showed a fluctuating synovigenic pattern with a slight decreasing trend over time. Egg length was 4.24 ± 0.01 mm and egg volume 8.14 ± 0.04 mm3. Egg size was correlated with female size but the relative size of eggs was larger in smaller females. Incubation time was 13.9 ± 0.1 days and hatching did not depend on egg size. Neonate size was positively correlated with egg length. Females were polyandrous (more than 20 lifetime matings) but multiple mating did not increase fecundity, fertility or longevity. In males, body length was 43.7 ± 0.6 mm and longevity 52 ± 3 days. Unlike with females, longevity was positively correlated with male size. Males were polygynous (up to 30 lifetime matings) but mating history did not affect male longevity. Rather to the contrary, long-lived males mated more times because they had more mating chances. Lastly, C. welensii reproductive traits were compared with those other Cerambycidae species and discussed from an adaptive perspective. Our data will be useful to improve management of C. welensii in order to prevent or mitigate its impact in dehesa woodlands and other oak forests.

Reproductive biology of the great capricorn beetle,Cerambyx cerdo(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): a protected but occasionally harmful species

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.M. Torres-Vila
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Oviposition Period ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Egg Volume ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Cerambyx Cerdo

AbstractCerambyx cerdo(Cc) is a protected saproxylic beetle in Europe, although it is increasingly reported as an oak ‘pest’. Cc ecological features are relatively well known, but, its reproductive biology is still poorly understood. Hence, we investigated the reproductive traits of Cc under laboratory conditions. In females, body length was 44.1 ± 0.9 mm, 28–53 (mean ± SE, range); fecundity 143 ± 11 eggs, 33–347; fertility 78 ± 1%, 65–93; oviposition period 44 ± 3 days, 13–128 and longevity 59 ± 5 days, 16–157. Fecundity was positively correlated with female size, longevity and oviposition period. Daily fecundity was 3.5 ± 0.2 eggs/day, 0.9–6.5 showing a fluctuating synovigenic pattern with a slight decreasing trend over time. Egg length was 3.74 ± 0.01 mm, 2.3–6.0 and egg volume 5.45 ± 0.04 mm3, 2.4–9.6. Egg size was correlated with female size, but, the relative size of eggs was larger in smaller females. Incubation time was 13.5 ± 0.1 days, 7–28. Hatching was superior in larger eggs and neonate size was positively correlated to egg volume. Females were polyandrous (up to 19 matings), but, multiple mating did not enhance fecundity or fertility. In males, body length was 41.8 ± 0.8 mm, 29–53 and longevity 49 ± 3 days, 9–124. Male longevity was unrelated to body size. Males were polygynous (up to 16 matings) and mating number did not affect male longevity. Overall, females were larger and lived longer than males. Cc reproductive traits are compared with those other Cerambycidae, especially with the congeneric pestCerambyx welensii. Our data may be valuable to improve the protection/management measures of Cc in dehesa woodlands and other oak forests.

scholarly journals Nocturnal mating behaviour and dynamic male investment of copulation time in the southern blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae)

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (14) ◽  
pp. 1883-1910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Morse ◽  
Kyall R. Zenger ◽  
Mark I. McCormick ◽  
Mark G. Meekan ◽  
Christine L. Huffard
Keyword(s):  
Mating Systems ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Video Footage ◽  
Mating History ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Strategic Allocation ◽  
Do So

The southern blue-ringed octopus,Hapalochlaena maculosaHoyle (1883), is a nocturnal species that exhibits a mating system in which females hold sperm from multiple males over a one to two month breeding window before laying a single egg clutch. Contrary to most studied animal mating systems where anisogamy exists, gamete package production is limited for both males and females of this species (approx. 50 spermatophores/eggs). This presents an animal model for studying aspects of sperm competition and dynamic mate choice behaviours. The present study reports on the mating behaviour ofH. maculosaobserved under laboratory conditions using infrared closed-circuit television video footage. Rates of male copulation attempts increased with male size, while female receptivity to mating attempts increased with female size, resulting in larger animals of both sexes gaining more copulations and spending more time per day in copulation. There was some evidence of female preference of larger males, but no male preference of females based on measured morphological traits. Both sexes terminated copulations in equal frequencies but male-terminated copulations were significantly shorter in duration. Males were more likely to terminate copulation early with females they had previously mated with, however were less likely to do so if the female had recently mated with a different male. Among male-terminated copulations, males mated for longer with females that had previously mated with other males in the trial. Male–male mounts were as common as male–female mounts, suggesting that maleH. maculosaare not able to discriminate the sex of conspecifics. These findings suggest male strategic allocation of spermatophores based female mating history is an important factor influencing mating behaviours of this species.

Fecundity and Egg Size of a Brood Stock of Salvelinus fontinalis × S. namaycush Hybrids (Splake)

1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. B. Ayles
Keyword(s):  
Egg Size ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Salvelinus Fontinalis ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Brood Stock ◽  
Trout Population ◽  
Egg Diameter

Estimates of average egg diameter and average number of eggs per female from a brood stock of Salvelinus fontinalis × S. namaycush (splake) hybrids were 0.468 cm and 1169 eggs, respectively. Variation in egg size between females was attributable to variation in both size and age of the fish, whereas differences in fecundity were attributed only to differences in female size. At a given size a splake had more and larger eggs than have been reported for lake trout. The significance of the findings is discussed in relation to the reestablishment of a viable trout population in Lake Huron.

scholarly journals Pipefish embryo oxygenation, survival, and development: egg size, male size, and temperature effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1451-1460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Nygård ◽  
Charlotta Kvarnemo ◽  
Ingrid Ahnesjö ◽  
Ines Braga Goncalves
Keyword(s):  
Egg Size ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Offspring Size ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Oxygen Levels ◽  
Syngnathus Typhle ◽  
Uniparental Care ◽  
Male Care

AbstractIn animals with uniparental care, the quality of care provided by one sex can deeply impact the reproductive success of both sexes. Studying variation in parental care quality within a species and which factors may affect it can, therefore, shed important light on patterns of mate choice and other reproductive decisions observed in nature. Using Syngnathus typhle, a pipefish species with extensive uniparental male care, with embryos developing inside a brood pouch during a lengthy pregnancy, we assessed how egg size (which correlates positively with female size), male size, and water temperature affect brooding traits that relate to male care quality, all measured on day 18, approximately 1/3, of the brooding period. We found that larger males brooded eggs at lower densities, and their embryos were heavier than those of small males independent of initial egg size. However, large males had lower embryo survival relative to small males. We found no effect of egg size or of paternal size on within-pouch oxygen levels, but oxygen levels were significantly higher in the bottom than the middle section of the pouch. Males that brooded at higher temperatures had lower pouch oxygen levels presumably because of higher embryo developmental rates, as more developed embryos consume more oxygen. Together, our results suggest that small and large males follow distinct paternal strategies: large males positively affect embryo size whereas small males favor embryo survival. As females prefer large mates, offspring size at independence may be more important to female fitness than offspring survival during development.

scholarly journals The reproductive performance of the Red-Algae shrimp Leander paulensis (Ortmann, 1897) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae) and the effect of post-spawning female weight gain on weight-dependent parameters

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uwe Zimmermann ◽  
Fabrício Lopes Carvalho ◽  
Fernando L. Mantelatto
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Egg Volume ◽  
Average Fecundity ◽  
Female Weight

AbstractDecapod species have evolved with a variety of reproductive strategies. In this study reproductive features of the palaemonid shrimp Leander paulensiswere investigated. Individuals were collected in the coastal region of Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. In all, 46 ovigerous females were examined in terms of the following reproductive traits: fecundity, reproductive output, brood loss and egg volume. Leander paulensis produces a large number of small eggs with an average fecundity of 635 ± 246 eggs. Egg volume increased significantly from early (0.034 ± 0.008 mm3) to late development stage (0.05 ± 0.012 mm3). The reproductive output did not correlate with female size. The weight of females bearing stage 2 eggs was significantly higher than that of females carrying stage 1 eggs. We assume that the reason for this weight gain is the recovery of female reserves that have been depleted for egg production. Moreover, we emphasize that this weight gain must be considered when evaluating weight-dependent variables such as reproductive output or brood loss in relation to female weight. Otherwise, an overestimation of these variables might lead to inaccurate results.

Egg size and clutch size in three species of Nihonotrypaea (Decapoda: Thalassinidea: Callianassidae) from western Kyushu, Japan

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kubo ◽  
K. Shimoda ◽  
A. Tamaki
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Middle Part ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Estuarine System ◽  
Ariake Sound ◽  
Interspecific Comparisons

Three species of the callianassid genus Nihonotrypaea occur in the Ariake Sound estuarine system, southern Japan; they consist of two tidal-flat species (N. harmandi; N. japonica) and one boulder-beach species (N. petalura), with maximum population densities of 1440, 343, and 12 ind m−2, respectively. Nihonotrypaea harmandi and N. petalura are distributed along the coastline from the outermost part of the sound to the open sea, while N. japonica occurs in the middle part of the sound. Nihonotrypaea japonica has an extended reproductive period from late winter to autumn, while those of the other species are from late spring or summer to autumn. Interspecific comparisons were made for recently laid egg size (as volume) and clutch size (as number of eggs per female). Only in N. japonica was a seasonal egg size variation observed, being significantly larger in winter to spring (mean=0.106 mm3) than in summer (0.080 mm3). By contrast, clutch size was significantly smaller in winter to spring, resulting in nearly the same clutch volume per female (product of the mean egg volume and clutch size) between the seasons. Among the three species, the egg size was ordered as N. japonica (overall mean volume through the seasons=0.092 mm3)>>N. petalura (0.057 mm3)>N. harmandi (0.054 mm3). The clutch size was ordered as N. harmandi>N. petalura≈N. japonica. The clutch volume was ordered as N. japonica≈N. harmandi>N. petalura. The smallest clutch volume value for N. petalura female showed an opposite trend to the relative size of the major cheliped found in a previous study.

Growth and life histories in Nematoda with particular reference to environmental factors

Nematology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 653-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Boag ◽  
Gregor Yeates
Keyword(s):  
Life Histories ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Physical Support ◽  
Unifying Principles

AbstractTo seek unifying principles underlying growth patterns in the phylum Nematoda, the volume of successive developmental stages was determined from published measurements. Within some groups occupying fairly uniform, non-living habitats ( e.g. , Longidoridae, Mononchida, non-parasitic Rhabditida) growth patterns are similar, as are the sizes of both sexes. In aquatic Chromadorida and Monhysterida, females are commonly larger than males. Plant-parasitic groups vary in the relative size of the sexes; within Criconematoidea there is some reduction of males in Hemicyliophora but extreme reduction in Tylenchulus. Despite freeliving and parasitic cycles of Strongyloides showing differing growth in stages 2 to 4, females are similar in both cycles. The strongylid parasites of vertebrates studied have a bacterial-feeding external stage and have lower growth rates and achieve smaller female size than Ascardia with direct life cycles. In taxa for which data are available, the increase in volume between stages 1 and 2 was 0.4-53-fold; that between stages 2 and 3, typically, 1.8-2.9-fold but up to 8191-fold; between stages 3 to 4, 1.7-3.8-fold but up to 100-fold; and between stage 4 to female, typically, 1.1-42-fold but up to 918-fold. Complete data are available for few nematode species and there is no apparent consistent pattern in which taxa contain 'outliers' at particular stages. Many more data are required to assess the impacts of habitat texture, physical support, food supply and experienced temperature on nematode growth and size.

Benefits of fidelity: does host specialization impact nematode parasite life history and fecundity?

Parasitology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
pp. 587-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. KOPRIVNIKAR ◽  
H. S. RANDHAWA
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Host Specialization ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Patent Period ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Evolutionary Level ◽  
Host Parasite

SUMMARYThe range of hosts used by a parasite is influenced by macro-evolutionary processes (host switching, host–parasite co-evolution), as well as ‘encounter filters’ and ‘compatibility filters’ at the micro-evolutionary level driven by host/parasite ecology and physiology. Host specialization is hypothesized to result in trade-offs with aspects of parasite life history (e.g. reproductive output), but these have not been well studied. We used previously published data to create models examining general relationships among host specificity and important aspects of life history and reproduction for nematodes parasitizing animals. Our results indicate no general trade-off between host specificity and the average pre-patent period (time to first reproduction), female size, egg size, or fecundity of these nematodes. However, female size was positively related to egg size, fecundity, and pre-patent period. Host compatibility may thus not be the primary determinant of specificity in these parasitic nematodes if there are few apparent trade-offs with reproduction, but rather, the encounter opportunities for new host species at the micro-evolutionary level, and other processes at the macro-evolutionary level (i.e. phylogeny). Because host specificity is recognized as a key factor determining the spread of parasitic diseases understanding factors limiting host use are essential to predict future changes in parasite range and occurrence.

Female reproductive characteristics of the Balkan wall lizard (Podarcis taurica) in the northwestern periphery of its range

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Ljubisavljević ◽  
Georg Džukić ◽  
Miloš Kalezić
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Species Range ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Female Body Size ◽  
Female Reproductive Traits ◽  
Gravid Females

AbstractWe present data on the female reproductive traits of the Balkan wall lizard in the Deliblato Sand, a large continental sandland in the Pannonian area in the northwestern periphery of the species range. The clutch and egg characteristics of the population were investigated on the basis of clutches laid in laboratory conditions by gravid females captured in one locality. Balkan wall lizards produced at least two clutches in a breeding season. Individual females laid clutches of commonly two (range 1–4) eggs. The female body size had no effect on clutch and egg size. There was no trade-off between egg size and clutch size.

scholarly journals Reproductive traits of the gray ratsnake Ptyas korros from three geographically distinct populations

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 820-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long-Hui Lin ◽  
Fei Mao ◽  
Ce Chen ◽  
Xiang Ji
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Egg Mass ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Female Reproductive Traits ◽  
Clutch Mass

Abstract We collected gravid gray rat snakes Ptyas korros from three geographically distinct populations in China, Chenzhou (CZ), Jiangshan (JS) and Dinghai (DH), to study geographical variation in female reproductive traits. Egg-laying dates differed among the three populations such that at the most northern latitude egg-laying was latest, and earliest at the most southern lati-tutde. Clutch size, clutch mass, egg mass, egg shape, within clutch variability in egg sizes and relative clutch mass differed among the three populations, whereas post-oviposition body mass did not. Except for egg-laying date, none of the traits examined varied in a geographically continuous trend. CZ and DH females, although separated by a distance of approximately 1100 km as the crow flies, were similar in nearly all traits examined. JS females were distinguished from CZ and DH females by their higher fecundity (clutch size), greater reproductive output (clutch mass) and more rounded eggs. Our data do not validate the prediction that larger offspring should be produced in colder localities. The absence of an egg size-number trade-off in each of the three populations presumably suggests that P. korros is among species where eggs are well optimized for size within a population.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document