Releasers of Male Copulatory Attempt in the Smaller Tea Tortrix Moth : Lapidoptera : Tortricidae

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Abstract
"Copulatory attempt", the final step of male precopulatory behavior, was observed and analysed by using various female models. Female sex pheromone was an absolutely essential releaser for the short range mating behavior of male moths even after the initial contact with a female moth. Visual stimuli, if any, was suggested to be less important than olfactory and tactile stimuli for male moths. Male copulatory attempt was found to be released by the combination of three different stimuli. The first stimulus is a species specific female sex pheromone, which must be emitted from a pinpoint source. The second stimulus is moth scales on the surface of a three dimensional substrate. It is not species specific and appears to be a tactile stimulus. The third stimulus is the size of the substrate on which the sex pheromone and moth scales are appropriately situated. Size seemed to be recognized by the distance from the pinopoint of pheromone source on the model and by antennal contact with the substrate.

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