title: Courtship and mating behaviour in the parasitoid wasp Cotesia urabae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): mate location and the influence of competition and body size on male mating success.
abstract: Cotesia urabae is a solitary larval endoparasitoid that was introduced into New Zealand in 2011 as a classical biological control agent against Uraba lugens. A detailed knowledge of its reproductive biology is required to optimize mass rearing efficiency. In this study, the courtship and mating behaviour of C. urabae is described and investigated from a series of experiments, conducted to understand the factors that influence male mating success. Cotesia urabae males exhibited a high attraction to virgin females but not mated females, whereas females showed no attraction to either virgin or mated males. Male mating success was highest in the presence of a male competitor. Also, the time to mate was shorter and copulation duration was longer when a male competitor was present. Larger male C. urabae had greater mating success than smaller males when paired together with a single female. This knowledge can now be utilized to improve mass rearing methods of C. urabae for the future.
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited,Mt Albert,Private Bag 92169,Auckland 1142,New Zealand.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Avila
authors.affiliation: Better Border Biosecurity,New Zealand.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Withers
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences,The University of Auckland,Private Bag 92019,Auckland 1142,New Zealand.
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Holwell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D014863:Wasps
keywords: biological control; endoparasitoid; mass rearing; mate attraction; olfactometer; wing fanning