Female Sex Pheromone Glands in the Parasitic Wasps, Genus Apanteles

抄録

To locate female sex pheromone glands of the parasitic wasps Apanteles, 7 species of this genus were investigated, which were A. plutellae, A. lipardis, A. baoris, A. kariyai, A. ruficrus, A. sp (1). and A. sp (2). Behavioural tests on A. plutellae showed that most of the males (13/20) responded to the ovipositor and the 9th tergite of the female with vibrating their wings, and that 4 and 3 of 11 males showed wing vibrating behaviour to the ovipositor and to the 9th tergite respectively. Histological observations on every Apanteles species manifested that a pair of secretory glands located on the inner surface of the 2nd valvifer and that a pair of patches of epithelial secretory cells on the 9th tergite. The organs on the 9th tergite, however, were also found in males. Therefore, the glands on the 2nd valvifers were considered the sex pheromone organs. SEM observations on the outer surfaces of the female genitalia of some Apanteles supported this conclusion, because there were some tiny pores on the 2nd valvifers corresponding with the loci of the glands and no pores on the 9th tergites. Sex pheromones of Apanteles group were considered to be secreted through these pores.