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Photoperiod and male-presence effects on the onset of reproduction of Porcellio laevis (Oniscidea)

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Abstract

A laboratory survey was done to study both day length and male effect on the reproduction of Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804. Specimens were maintained in six climatic chambers at different photoperiods [Light:Dark (LD) 0:24, 4:20, 8: 16, 12: 12, 14: 10, 16: 8 and 24: 0] at constant temperature of 20 ± 1°C. The characterization of photoperiodic induction on the onset of reproduction in P. laevis females showed that those maintained under LD 16:8 started reproduction after a delay of 50.27 ± 5.56 days and can perform up to four successive parturial moults. However, females maintained under constant darkness entered in reproduction after 136 ± 5.50 days and underwent only one parturial moult. To evaluate the male-effect on the onset of reproduction, different experiments were conducted highlighting that male presence speeds up the lag-time of females maintained at LD 16:8. We can conclude that long photophases, especially LD 16:8, and male presence stimulate the onset of reproduction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, UR11ES11 Research Unit of Bio-ecology and Evolutionary Systematic, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092, Manar II, Tunis, Tunisia

    Chedliya Ghemari, Anas Ayari, Hajer Khemaissia & Karima Nasri-Ammar

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  1. Chedliya Ghemari
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  2. Anas Ayari
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  3. Hajer Khemaissia
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  4. Karima Nasri-Ammar
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Correspondence to Chedliya Ghemari.

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Ghemari, C., Ayari, A., Khemaissia, H. et al. Photoperiod and male-presence effects on the onset of reproduction of Porcellio laevis (Oniscidea). Biologia 72, 1480–1485 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2017-0168

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