Mating behaviour of females ofGlossina pallidipesAusten (Diptera: Glossinidae)

Abstract

The mating behaviour of females of Glossina pallidipes Aust. from Kibwezi Forest, Kenya, was investigated in the field and in the laboratory. Field studies showed that very few tenerals were inseminated, that most nulliparous females become inseminated after the first blood-meal and that of females caught on a moving vehicle the majority of recently fed nulliparae were not inseminated while most non-teneral nulliparae with little or no residual blood-meal were inseminated. This suggested a mate-seeking behaviour by uninseminated, non-teneral nulliparae. Field data indicated that multiple insemination occurs in some nulliparae. In the laboratory, few females were receptive until 4–5 days old, which conforms to the field data. Peak receptivity in virgins was reached about nine days after eclosion, when more than 90% copulated. Receptivity in virgins decreased from about two weeks after eclosion. Females permitted one copulation a day between days 0 and 13 copulated, on average, 1·4 times; 38% copulated twice and 2% three times. Receptivity in virgins was higher than in non-virgins, suggesting that one or more components of the copulation affect receptivity.