The inseminating potential of male Glossina austeni Newst. and G. morsitans morsitans Westw. (Dipt., Glossinidae)

Abstract

In laboratory experiments individual male Glossina austeni Newst. were each mated, at two- or three-day intervals, to nine different females. In one series of matings the males were restricted to one pairing and in a second series the sexes were left together for 24 h, when more than one copulation could have occurred. The technique followed in the second series was repeated with G. morsitans morsitans Westw. when the males were presented successively with 12 different females. The fecundity of female G. austeni, after mating with males previously mated on 0 to 5 occasions, was consistently higher when left with their mates for 24 h (mean puparia produced per mature female day=0·102) than when restricted to a single copulation (0.085). When the sexes were left together for 24 h, female fecundity of both species was maximal when mated with males used for up to six times (ca 0·10 puparia produced per mature female day) but became progressively poorer as the males were used more frequently (0·022 for G. m. morsitans females mated with males used for the twelfth time). The testes of muchmated males are markedly smaller than those of virgin males of the same age. Maximum disposable output of males from colonies of Glossina engaged in production for the sterile insect release method could be obtained by using males retained in the colony for mating on six occasions. It is speculated that in nature the absence of both teneral and old males from the following swarm ensures the presence of only fully sexually potent males in the swarm.