Lateralized courtship behavior in Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae): influence of gender, sexual experience, and its effects on mating success

Lateralization in mating behavior is increasingly recognized as a significant trait in insect species, yet its influence associated with gender, and sexual experience in Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) remains poorly understood. This study examines how lateralized mating behaviors, gender, and sexual experience interact to influence mating success and efficiency in O. furnacalis. We conducted controlled mating trials to assess how gender and sexual experience shape lateralized directional approaches (eg right- or left-biased) and turnings (eg 180° right- or left-biased) across the pre-copulatory, copulatory, and post-copulatory phases. Our results indicated that, in terms of gender, males were more likely to approach females, whereas females rarely initiated approaches, with both approaches each other simultaneously being infrequent. Both virgin and experienced males showed higher right-biased directional approaches than the front approaches to the females with more left-biased directional turns for successful intromissive copulation. Experienced males showed greater mating success than virgins. In contrast, experienced females exhibited lower mating success and longer post-copulatory interactions compared to virgin females, particularly duration of copulation. Post-copulatory interactions showed that antennal touching occurred more frequently in the experienced pairs. This study is the first to demonstrate the combined influence of gender and sexual experience on lateralized mating dynamics, with male courtship behaviors linked to learning processes. The results indicate that sexual experience, potentially involving learning and memory processes, significantly enhances mating efficiency and fitness in O. furnacalis. This research provides a more nuanced understanding of lateralized mating behaviors in O. furnacalis, with implications for refining pest management strategies in agricultural environments.

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