scholarly journals How Does the Male Penisfilum Enter the Female Copulatory Pore in Hangingflies?

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Zheng Wei ◽  
Xin Tong ◽  
Bao-Zhen Hua
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Functional Morphology ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Spermathecal Duct ◽  
Nuptial Feeding ◽  
Subgenital Plate ◽  
Female Abdomen

Hangingflies are characterized by the interesting nuptial feeding behavior and unusual belly-to-belly hanging mating position. However, the mating behavior and the copulatory mechanism remain poorly known for Bittacidae, especially how the elongated male penisfilum enters the copulatory pore of the female. In this study, the mating behavior and copulatory mechanism of Terrobittacus implicatus (Huang and Hua, 2006) were investigated to reveal the functional morphology of hangingfly genitalia. The results show that the male provides a prey as a nuptial gift to the female and twists his abdomen about 180° to form a belly-to-belly hanging mating position. During the penisfilum-entering process, the male epandrial lobes clamp the female subgenital plate with the aid of the female abdomen swelling. Then the male locates the female copulatory pore through his upper branch of the proctiger and inserts his penisfilum into the female spermathecal duct in cooperation with the short setae on the groove of the proctiger. The female subgenital plate where the epandrial lobes clamp is strongly sclerotized and melanized. The copulatory mechanism of Terrobittacus is briefly discussed.

scholarly journals A unique mating pattern of Panorpodes kuandianensis (Mecoptera: Panorpodidae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Tong ◽  
Lu Jiang ◽  
Bao-Zhen Hua
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Sperm Transfer ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Mating Pattern ◽  
End To End ◽  
Mating Behaviors ◽  
First Time

Sexually reproductive insects exhibit diverse mating behaviors. However, the mating pattern remains unknown for Panorpodes of Panorpodidae to date. In this study, we investigated the mating behavior and copulatory mechanism of the short-faced scorpionfly Panorpodes kuandianensis Zhong, Zhang and Hua, 2011 for the first time. The results show that the male provides a salivary mass as a nuptial gift to the female and starts to copulate with the female in a V-shaped position, then changes to an end-to-end position by temporarily twisting the female abdominal segments VII−IX by 180°. During mating the basal processes and the basal teeth of the gonostyli and the hypandrium are used to obtain copulation and sustain the coupling of genitalia to secure successful sperm transfer. This unique mating pattern is greatly different from that of other Mecoptera reported and is likely evolved as an adaptation in the context of sexual conflict.

scholarly journals Nuptial feeding and genital coupling of Neopanorpa scorpionflies (Insecta: Mecoptera: Panorpidae) with notal organs of various lengths

2019 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 498-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Tong ◽  
Bao-Zhen Hua
Keyword(s):  
Salivary Glands ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Posterior Portion ◽  
Mating Tactic ◽  
Nuptial Feeding ◽  
Coercive Mating

Neopanorpa, the second largest genus in Panorpidae, is mainly characterized by the well-developed notal organ on male tergum III. However, it remains largely unknown how the length of the notal organ influences the nuptial feeding behaviour of Neopanorpa. Here, we investigated the nuptial feeding by comparing the morphology of mating-related structures and the genital coupling of a) Neopanorpa lui Chou & Ran, 1981 with a weakly-developed notal organ, b) N. carpenteri Cheng, 1957 with a medium-sized notal organ, and c) N. longiprocessa Hua & Chou, 1997 with an extremely elongated notal organ. The couples of N. lui and N. carpenteri maintain an intermittent mouth-to-mouth mode but do not exchange any edible food. After that the males secrete a salivary mass onto the surface as a nuptial gift, which is distinctly larger in N. carpenteri than in N. lui. Correspondingly, the male salivary glands are more developed in N. carpenteri than in N. lui. Males of N. longiprocessa bear very short salivary glands corresponding to a coercive mating tactic. The genital couplings are similar among the three species of Neopanorpa. The paired hypovalves of males are used to control the cerci of females. The prominent basal processes of male gonostyli grasp the posterior portion of the female medigynium across the intersegmental membrane. The male aedeagus physically couples with the female medigynium to ensure the male phallotreme to connect to the female copulatory pore. The influence of the notal organ length on the nuptial feeding behaviour of Neopanorpa is briefly discussed.

scholarly journals Development and functional morphology of the foreguts of larvae and postlarvae of three crustacean decapods

2008 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Abrunhosa ◽  
M. Melo
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Functional Morphology ◽  
Litopenaeus Vannamei ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Filter Press ◽  
Juvenile Stage ◽  
Lateral Tooth ◽  
Gastric Mill ◽  
Digestive Function ◽  
Juvenile Stages

The development of the foregut structure and the digestive function of the decapods Litopenaeus vannamei, Sesarma rectum and Callichirus major larvae and post larvae were examined. The protozoeal foregut of L. vannamei is simple, lacking a cardiopyloric valve and bearing a rudimentary filter press. In mysis, the filter press is more developed. In the juvenile stage, grooves and a small lateral tooth arise. In S. rectum, the foregut has a functional cardiopyloric valve and a filter press. The megalopal and juvenile stages of this species have a gastric mill similar to those in adult crabs. In C. major, the foregut of the zoeae is specialized, with the appearance of some rigid structures, but no gastric mill was found. Calcified structures are observed in the megalopae and they become more developed in the juvenile stage. The results support suppositions, previously reported in other studies, that feeding behavior of each larval and postlarval stage is directly related to the morphological characteristics of the foreguts.

Love for sale and its fitness benefits: nuptial gifts in the scorpionfly Panorpa vulgaris represent paternal investment

Behaviour ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 143 (7) ◽  
pp. 825-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sierk Engels ◽  
Klaus Peter Sauer
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Mating Effort ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Paternal Investment ◽  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Female Fecundity ◽  
Nuptial Feeding ◽  
Common Strategy ◽  
Fitness Benefits

AbstractNuptial feeding is a very common strategy shown by males of various insect taxa in order to obtain copulations. In the majority of cases these gifts presented during or after courtship and/or copulation can be considered as mating effort. In this study we present data which indicate that nuptial feeding in Panorpa vulgaris (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) represents paternal investment. During copulations males produce salivary secretions which are consumed by the females. The more salivary masses a male produces the longer the copulation will last. Since sperm are transferred continuously during copulation and fertilization of eggs follows the fair raffle principle, females allocate paternity in accordance to copulation duration and therefore to the amount of nuptial gifts they receive from a certain male. In the present study we are able to show that the number of salivary masses consumed significantly affects the number of eggs a female produces. Thus, in P. vulgaris the nuptial gift increases the reproductive output of females and hence must not only be considered as mating effort but also as paternal investment. The mechanism by which salivary masses increase female fecundity is yet unknown. We hypothesize that the secretions may not only transfer nutrients but may possibly operate as carriers for an allohormone that manipulates the females' physiology in terms of increasing egg production.

Functional morphology and feeding behavior of Streblospio benedicti and S. shrubsolii (Polychaeta: Spionidae)

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 496 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 207-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Dauer ◽  
Heidi K. Mahon ◽  
Rafael Sardá
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Functional Morphology ◽  
Streblospio Benedicti
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