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Pheromones and body coloration affect mate recognition in the Japanese nine-spotted moth Amata fortunei (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

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Abstract

Adults of the Japanese nine-spotted moth, Amata fortunei, are diurnal and have white-spotted black wings and a black-and-yellow striped body pattern. We evaluated whether this species uses sex pheromones and whether visual cues from the female body are used in mate recognition. We introduced extracts of potentially scent-bearing abdominal tips of females to males. Males responded more to the extracts than to dried female specimens, suggesting the presence of sex pheromones in the extracts. Indeed, no males responded to the dried female specimens. To evaluate the importance of visual cues, we conducted the experiments with crude extract and an additional model stimulant. Males responded more to model females with the same number and similar area of yellow bands to the original conspecific females than to those with more bands and greater total band area, suggesting that dissimilarity in band number and area to conspecific females could interrupt male mating behavior. Males of A. fortunei likely find mating partners using olfactory cues over relatively long distances, while using both olfactory and visual cues over short distances. These results suggest that olfactory cues play a major role in mate recognition, whereas visual cues play a supplementary role.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. S. Funakoshi for collecting A. fortunei adults, and Prof. T. Ando for providing valuable advice about A. fortunei pheromones and wind tunnel experiments. We also thank Prof. T. Ono and Mr. T. Noma for providing valuable advice during our studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Insect Ecology, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan

    Yûsuke KonDo

  2. Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Konan-cho Minami 4-101, Tottori, Japan

    Hideshi Naka

  3. Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan

    Koji Tsuchida

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  1. Yûsuke KonDo
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  2. Hideshi Naka
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Correspondence to Yûsuke KonDo.

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KonDo, Y., Naka, H. & Tsuchida, K. Pheromones and body coloration affect mate recognition in the Japanese nine-spotted moth Amata fortunei (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). J Ethol 30, 301–308 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-012-0327-z

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