We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Courtship behaviour in the genus Nomada - antennal grabbing and possible transfer of male secretions.
- Authors
Schindler, Matthias; Hofmann, Michaela M.; Wittmann, Dieter; Renner, Susanne S.
- Abstract
Due to low population densities, copulation in the cuckoo bee genus Nomada has not previously been observed, although a seminal paper by Tengö and Bergström (1977) on the chemomimesis between these parasitic bees and their Andrena or Melitta hosts postulated that secretions from male glands might be sprayed onto females during copulation. Our observations on the initiation and insertion phase of copulation in three species of Nomada now indicate antennal grabbing as a mechanism by which chemicals are transferred between the sexes. Histological studies of the antennae of N. fucata and N. lathburiana reveal antennal modifications associated with cell aggregations that represent glandular cells, and SEM studies revealed numerous excretory canals.
- Subjects
NOMADA; COURTSHIP; INSECT secretions; INSECT population density; ANDRENA; INSECTS
- Publication
Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 2018, Issue 65, p47
- ISSN
1070-9428
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3897/jhr.65.24947