Abstract
Fertilized females of Spodoptera exigua laid 713±154 eggs (mean±S.D.) for 4.8±1.5 days in the laboratory at 25°C and 14L: 10D. They laid ca. 40% of the eggs during the first night after mating, and the daily oviposition diminished exponentially thereafter. In contrast, unmated females laid 371±175 eggs for 5.3±2.2 days. Mating delay for more than 4 days after emergence resulted in fewer eggs and less hatchability. Simulation showed that ca. 97% of daily inhibition of mating would result in a ca. 20% accumulated mating rate of females. This value would be necessary to exceed a 90% reduction of reproduction. This estimation coincided with the population suppression effects observed in a field experiment of communication disruption conducted in 1987 by WAKAMURA et al. (1989).
