Reproductive Behaviors of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the Laboratory

The reproductive behaviors of individual pairs of Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)-all combinations of three populations and three different ages-were observed in glass jars in the laboratory on Acer saccharum Marshall (Sapindales: Sapindaceae) host material. The virgin female occasionally made first contact, but mounting did not occur until the male antennated or palpated the female. If the female was receptive (older females initially less receptive than younger ones), the male mated with her immediately after mounting and initiated a prolonged pair-bond. When the female was not receptive, some males abandoned the attempt while most performed a short antennal wagging behavior. During the pair-bond, the male continuously grasped the female's elytral margins with his prothoracic tarsi or both pro- and mesothoracic tarsi. The male copulated in a series of three to four bouts (averaging three to five copulations each) during which the female chewed oviposition sites or walked on the host. Between bouts, the female oviposited and fertile eggs were deposited as soon as 43 min after the first copulation. Females became unreceptive again after copulation and the duration of the pair-bond depended on the male's ability to remain mounted. Some population differences were seen which may be climatic adaptations. A single pair-bond was sufficient for the female to achieve ~60% fertility for her lifetime, but female fecundity declined with age at mating. Under eradication conditions, mates will become more difficult to find and females that find mates will likely produce fewer progeny because they will be older at the time of mating.