Mating Behavior, Adult Longevity and Number of Eggs Oviposited by the Mushroom Pest-moth, Diomea cremata（Lepidoptera: Noctuidae）

Abstract

I explored the mating behavior, adult longevity, and number of eggs oviposited in Diomea cremata（Butler）（Lepidoptera: Noctuidae）under laboratory conditions. Calling and mating behaviors were observed at 24°C under a 16 : 8-h light : dark regimen. Calling and mating were evident in the scotophase. Calling activities were observed in 59–89% of 0–6-day-old female adults and did not differ by age. The mating duration was 93.6±3.7（mean±SE）min. Most males did not copulate on the day of emergence, but females did. Adult longevity and ovipositing were investigated at 24°C under a 16 : 8-h light : dark regimen. The adult longevity（mean±SE）was 8.8±0.7 days for males and 11.5±1.3 days for females. The proportion of ovipositing females increased at 3 days after adult emergence. On average, 160.2±29.7 eggs were oviposited; this number was significantly correlated with adult survival. These results suggest that D. cremata has a reproductive strategy to exploit fruiting bodies whose numbers were unpredictable over time and space, i.e. female adults copulate soon after emergence, after that they search for fruiting bodies which are adequate to their larval food and lay eggs throughout their lifetime.