Abstract
Mating behavior of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), was observed under laboratory conditions, and the relationships between mating and egg maturation were examined. Under a 16:8h light:dark photoperiod at 25°C, 1- to 4-day-old moths showed a similar pattern of mating behavior: mating occurred almost always in dark period, with a peak between 1 and 2 hours after "light-off"; multiple matings in a day, with a maximum of 4 times, occurred in 25% of pairs; the mean duration of mating was about 75 minutes. In the case of mated females, the number of mature eggs produced by each female, i. e. the number of eggs laid by the female plus the number of mature eggs found in its ovaries, was at least 30 regardless of age. Using this minimum value of egg maturation rate as a criterion of sexual maturity in females, the estimated proportions of individuals having mating ability for 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-day-old females were 54, 40, 68 and 98%, respectively.
