Abstract
The effects of color, shape an d size of female models on the mating behavior of male Psacothea hilaris (PASCOE) were examined. Various forms treated with female extract were presented to mature males. Male mating behaviors were strongly dependent on the shape and the size of the models but not on the color. With some models, such as an oval, a sphere and a regular prism, males exhibited mating behavior just as they did with intact females, although they showed unusual behavior with other models, such as a hemisphere, a triangular prism, and an isosceles triangular prism. Normal mounting and copulatory attempts apparently required footholds which permitted both fore- and midlegs to be positioned parallel and symmetrical to one another. Males appeared to search for a protrusion using parameral contact in order to decide on the appropriate point for copulation. Among the three dimensions of the size of the model, height was considered to be the most important factor for eliciting mating behavior because the male showed mating responses only toward models taller than 2 mm. The optimal model size for eliciting a copulatory response was nearly the same as the average size of a wild female.
