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Journal of Neurogenetics 2019Egg-laying behavior is one of the most important aspects of female behavior, and has a profound impact on the fitness of a species. As such, it is controlled by several... (Review)
Review
Egg-laying behavior is one of the most important aspects of female behavior, and has a profound impact on the fitness of a species. As such, it is controlled by several layers of regulation. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of insect neural circuits that control when, where and how to lay an egg. We also outline outstanding open questions about the control of egg-laying decisions, and speculate on the possible neural underpinnings that can drive the diversification of oviposition behaviors through evolution.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Female; Insecta; Oviposition
PubMed: 31164023
DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1586898 -
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology Oct 2022We develop a predictive oviposition model for a southern population of mountain pine beetle (MPB) using a previously developed rate curve, incorporating variation in...
We develop a predictive oviposition model for a southern population of mountain pine beetle (MPB) using a previously developed rate curve, incorporating variation in both oviposition rate and fecundity. We also introduce a method for determining the time delay before oviposition. The model describes the probability of oviposition for a season of MPB attacks using hourly phloem temperature and adult MPB attack data. We also develop an asymptotic approximation of MPB oviposition that is much less computationally taxing. The detailed oviposition model and its asymptotic approximation are compared with other ovipositional models for MPB; the predictive capacity of each model is evaluated using previously published observations.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Female; Mathematical Concepts; Models, Biological; Oviposition; Pinus
PubMed: 36205824
DOI: 10.1007/s11538-022-01089-1 -
Vitamins and Hormones 2010Pheromones influencing oviposition behavior in females of haematophagous insects have been the interest of recent past by many group of scientists working on oviposition... (Review)
Review
Pheromones influencing oviposition behavior in females of haematophagous insects have been the interest of recent past by many group of scientists working on oviposition pheromones. Finding and choosing a good site for oviposition is a challenging task for females of haematophagous insects, especially in those insects which does not have the parental care. Their decisions have far-reaching and profound consequences for the life history of the offspring. In such blood feeding insects, the choice of oviposition site is affected by pheromones, which may function either as deterrents or stimulants in short range, while they may also act as repellents or attractants in long range perception. During the location of a suitable oviposition site for egg laying or a potential host for blood feeding, haematophagous insects mainly use olfactory and visual cues. These pheromones are produced by the ovipositing female or by conspecific larvae co-occurring with gravid females. Adult females detect oviposition pheromones by odor receptors on the antennae, as well as by contact chemoreceptors on tarsi, mouthparts and antennae. Different cues exploited by gravid females from a diversified arena include egg, larva, habitat, microbes, infusions and plant produced volatiles influence the oviposition behavior. Traps baited with pheromones, infusions, and insecticides shall be promising tools for monitoring and control of target insect using integrated vector management strategies.
Topics: Animals; Diptera; Female; Insect Control; Insecta; Male; Oviposition; Pheromones
PubMed: 20831963
DOI: 10.1016/S0083-6729(10)83024-9 -
Medical and Veterinary Entomology Dec 2023Vector control is still the recommended approach to avoid arbovirus outbreaks. Herein, we investigate oviposition preferences of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)...
Vector control is still the recommended approach to avoid arbovirus outbreaks. Herein, we investigate oviposition preferences of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) females under a semi-field structure Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For that, in Experiment 1, we used two settings: 'Single items', which included as containers drain, beer bottle, bucket, car tyre, water tank, and a potted Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) in a saucer with water, or 'Multiple containers', as an urban simulation, in which one drain, two additional beer bottles, and an extra plant pot saucer were added. Experiment 2 (sensory cues) used five variations of potted plant, each one varying in the range of sensory cues known to attract gravid females to oviposition containers. Our results indicate that gravid Ae. aegypti prefer to oviposit close to the ground and in open water containers with organic compounds from plant watering. Domestic large artificial containers containing tap water received significantly fewer eggs, except for the car tyre, which exhibited as many eggs as the potted plant. We also show that visual (potted plant shape) and olfactory clues (odour of the plant or from water containing organic matter) were equally attractive separately as were these stimuli together.
Topics: Female; Animals; Aedes; Oviposition; Mosquito Vectors; Brazil; Water
PubMed: 37265439
DOI: 10.1111/mve.12670 -
Die Naturwissenschaften Oct 2004Insects are considered the most important predators of seed cones, the female reproductive structures of conifers, prior to seed dispersal. Slightly more than 100 genera... (Review)
Review
Insects are considered the most important predators of seed cones, the female reproductive structures of conifers, prior to seed dispersal. Slightly more than 100 genera of insects are known to parasitize conifer seed cones. The most diverse (i.e., number of species) of these genera is Megastigmus (Hymenoptera: Torymidae), which comprises many important seed pests of native and exotic conifers. Seed chalcids, Megastigmus spp., lay eggs inside the developing ovules of host conifers and, until recently, oviposition was believed to occur only in fertilized ovules. Ovule development begins just after pollination, but stops if cells are not fertilized. The morphological stage of cone development at the time of oviposition by seed chalcids has been established for many species; however, knowledge of ovule development at that time has been documented for only one species, M. spermotrophus. Megastigmus spermotrophus oviposits in Douglas-fir ovules after pollination but before fertilization. Unlike the unfertilized ovules, those containing a M. spermotrophus larva continue to develop, whether fertilized or not, stressing the need to broaden our understanding of the insect-plant interactions for this entire genus. To achieve this task, we reviewed the scientific literature and assembled information pertaining to the timing of oviposition and to the pollination and fertilization periods of their respective host(s). More specifically, we were searching for circumstantial evidence that other species of Megastigmus associated with conifers could behave (i.e., oviposit before ovule fertilization) and impact on female gametophyte (i.e., prevent abortion) like M. spermotrophus. The evidence from our compilation suggests that seed chalcids infesting Pinaceae may also oviposit before ovule fertilization, just like M. spermotrophus, whereas those infesting Cupressaceae seemingly oviposit after ovule fertilization. Based on this evidence, we hypothesize that all species of Megastigmus associated with Pinaceae can oviposit in unfertilized ovules, whereas those exploiting Cupressaceae cannot, and thus oviposit only in already fully developed fertilized seeds. Furthermore, we predict that the presence of a larva in unfertilized ovules of all Pinaceae will influence the development of the female gametophyte by preventing its abortion. This influence on the Pinaceae can be interpreted as an ability to parasitize any of the potential seeds present in a seed cone, and as such represents a much more efficient oviposition strategy than searching and locating only fertilized seeds. Concomitantly, this ability has likely led to an overestimation of the impact of the species of seed chalcid infesting Pinaceae on seed production.
Topics: Animals; Female; Host-Parasite Interactions; Insecta; Oviposition; Seeds; Tracheophyta
PubMed: 15729760
DOI: 10.1007/s00114-004-0554-4 -
Journal of Medical Entomology Jul 2017In the genus Culex, oviposition is often generalized as laying floating egg rafts directly on the surface of the water, as reported for arbovirus vectors Culex pipiens...
In the genus Culex, oviposition is often generalized as laying floating egg rafts directly on the surface of the water, as reported for arbovirus vectors Culex pipiens L. and Culex tarsalis Coquillett, both members of subgenus Culex. The current work reports on investigations of exceptions to this strategy by species of Melanoconion, a diverse and mostly tropical subgenus of Culex, with many arbovirus vectors. Wild gravid females from Vero Beach, FL, were introduced into outdoor cages with open water, partially covered water, and emergent solid structures for oviposition. Three species, Culex cedecei Stone and Hair, Culex iolambdis Dyar, and Culex pilosus Dyar and Knab laid vast majorities (80-100%) of egg clusters attached to solid surfaces, although at different heights and angles, while Culex atratus Theobald laid floating egg clusters (100%) directly on the water. When offered mud, open water, and woody material, Cx. iolambdis laid 86% of clusters on nearly vertical surfaces of mangrove rootlets. Culex iolambdis eggs laid on solid surfaces hatched within 3-4 d or dried up without hatching. Results suggest that Melanoconion species utilize a variety of oviposition strategies, yet most species studied oviposit out of water. For some species, such as Cx. pilosus, this is a strategy for diapause and desiccation resistance, while for others, such as Cx. iolambdis, ovipositing above water may protect eggs from predators or being flushed from larval habitat. A summary of oviposition strategies in genus Culex shows that above-water oviposition is widespread and that the Culex egg raft paradigm needs reassessment.
Topics: Animals; Culex; Ecosystem; Female; Florida; Oviposition
PubMed: 28402498
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx052 -
Journal of Medical Entomology Nov 2021Container Aedes mosquitoes are the most important vectors of human arboviruses (i.e., dengue, chikungunya, Zika, or yellow fever). Invasive and native container Aedes... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Container Aedes mosquitoes are the most important vectors of human arboviruses (i.e., dengue, chikungunya, Zika, or yellow fever). Invasive and native container Aedes spp. potentially utilize natural and artificial containers in specific environments for oviposition. Several container Aedes spp. display 'skip-oviposition' behavior, which describes the distribution of eggs among multiple containers during a single gonotrophic cycle. In this study, we compared individual skip-oviposition behavior using identical eight-cup testing arenas with three container Aedes species: Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), Aedes albopictus (Skuse), and Aedes triseriatus (Say). We applied the index of dispersion, an aggregation statistic, to individual mosquitoes' oviposition patterns to assess skip-oviposition behavior. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus utilized more cups and distributed eggs more evenly among cups than Ae. triseriatus under nutritionally enriched oviposition media (oak leaf infusion) conditions. When presented with a nutritionally unenriched (tap water) oviposition media, both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus increased egg spreading behavior. Aedes albopictus did not modify skip-oviposition behavior when reared and assessed under fall-like environmental conditions, which induce diapause egg production. This study indicates specific oviposition site conditions influence skip-oviposition behavior with 'preferred' sites receiving higher amounts of eggs from any given individual and 'non-preferred' sites receive a limited contribution of eggs. A further understanding of skip-oviposition behavior is needed to make the best use of autodissemination trap technology in which skip-ovipositing females spread a potent larvicide among oviposition sites within the environment.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Female; Mosquito Vectors; Oviposition
PubMed: 34048548
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab084 -
Bulletin of Entomological Research Dec 2020Ovipositional decisions in herbivorous insects may be affected by social information from conspecifics. Social facilitation of oviposition has been suggested for the...
Ovipositional decisions in herbivorous insects may be affected by social information from conspecifics. Social facilitation of oviposition has been suggested for the onion fly Delia antiqua. In the current study, we found that D. antiqua oviposition was unequal between paired oviposition stations of equal quality and that more eggs were laid on an oviposition station baited with decoy flies than on the control. The increased oviposition toward the decoys continued over time >8 h. When decoys were placed upside down, the number of eggs laid did not differ between the decoy and control sides of oviposition stations, suggesting that social facilitation of oviposition is mediated by visual cues. Based on these findings, mechanisms of social facilitation of oviposition in D. antiqua were discussed.
Topics: Animals; Cues; Diptera; Female; Host-Seeking Behavior; Onions; Oviposition; Social Behavior; Vision, Ocular
PubMed: 32410721
DOI: 10.1017/S0007485320000152 -
Journal of Economic Entomology Aug 2022Massive economic damage by spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, results from their unique egg laying behavior wherein a gravid fly pierces a ripening fruit...
Massive economic damage by spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, results from their unique egg laying behavior wherein a gravid fly pierces a ripening fruit to lay a number of eggs. Gravid SWD flies employ a complex suite of behaviors to find a fruit with the optimum firmness and chemistry. We investigated chemosensory cues potentially contributing to the oviposition behavior of SWD. In a series of experiments, we studied how the fruit ripeness and the underlying volatile chemistry influence oviposition. We tested the comparative attraction of three common fruits implicated in oviposition and determined raspberries to be most attractive in the trap choice assays that strictly measured olfactory preference. Since SWD oviposit in ripening fruits and appear to avoid the overripe fruit, we further evaluated the effect of ripeness on gravid fly attraction. Overripe fruits were significantly more attractive compared to the ripe fruits. The trap choice assays were repeated in an olfactory T-maze paradigm that provided a complex odor environment, potentially experienced by the gravid flies, and the results were mostly comparable. Since our behavioral paradigms indicated a clear olfactory preference for specific ripeness stages (ripe and overripe), we analyzed the constituent volatile odorants from the three ripening stages, revealing discrete odor profiles. Finally, we quantified the total soluble sugars and carbon dioxide concentrations from field-collected raspberries in underripe, ripe, and overripe conditions, revealing that the overripe stage is the most sugar-rich. Together, our results indicate unique chemosensory adaptations in gravid SWD flies for successfully exploiting optimal oviposition resources.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Female; Fruit; Odorants; Oviposition
PubMed: 35348733
DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac028 -
Journal of Economic Entomology Dec 2021The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is one of the most important pests of fruits worldwide. In the present study, we investigated the...
The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is one of the most important pests of fruits worldwide. In the present study, we investigated the ovipositional response of C. capitata females to 37 compounds of fruit volatiles from various chemical groups and the dose response to five of them. Red plastic hollow hemispheres (domes) were used as oviposition substrates in all tests. Twenty of the compounds tested increased female egg laying compared to control substrates that contain no chemicals. With 16 compounds, similar number of eggs was deposited in treated and in control oviposition substrates. One terpene ((±)-linalool) reduced egg laying indicating a deterrent ovipositional effect. Both the esters and aldehydes tested increased the ovipositional responses in C. capitata. Most of the monoterpene hydrocarbons increased oviposition, while oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons, and oxygenated sesquiterpenes had mostly neutral effect. Ethyl hexanoate and R-(+)-limonene increased oviposition in the majority of doses tested. Different doses of (-)-linalool elicited differential female ovipositional responses. In contrast, valencene and citral, regardless of dose did not affect female oviposition. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Ceratitis capitata; Fruit; Monoterpenes; Oviposition; Tephritidae
PubMed: 34545399
DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab178