Mating Frequency and Fecundity in the Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

ABSTRACT The consequences of single versus multiple mating on the longevity, fecundity, and fertility of female emerald ash borers Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire) were examined. In the first treatment, dissections of the common oviduct showed that 43 of 52 singly-mated females had received spermatophores. In the next two treatments, females were observed to mate one time, then housed either alone (observed separate) or with their mate (observed together). In the fourth treatment, females were paired with a randomly chosen male (unobserved together). Weight (0.0428 ± SE 0.0008 g) and longevity (50.5 ± SE 1.6 d) of female beetles did not differ among treatments. Fecundity, but not fertility, had a significant positive correlation with longevity in all treatments. Almost all of the females ‘Observed together’ laid eggs (87%, N = 31), while significantly fewer females ‘unobserved together’ (61%, N = 31) and ‘Observed separate’ (54%, N = 31) did. The fecundity of females that did lay eggs did not differ among treatments. Based on our results a single mating may be sufficient to ensure maximal fecundity for females, but there is potential for failure of any one mating, and no apparent cost to multiple mating. Thus, multiple mating is likely the best strategy for female emerald ash borers to maximize fecundity. The implications of results for laboratory rearing, and potential population level effects are discussed.

[1]  D. Barry Lyons,et al.  The Biology and Phenology of the Emerald Ash Borer , 2005 .

[2]  T. Miyatake,et al.  Induction of oviposition by injection of male-derived extracts in two Callosobruchus species. , 2010, Journal of insect physiology.

[3]  Robert G. Haight,et al.  Cost of potential emerald ash borer damage in U.S , 2010 .

[4]  E. H. Morrow,et al.  Costly traumatic insemination and a female counter-adaptation in bed bugs , 2003, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences.

[5]  R. N. Chapman.  Observations on the Life-History of Agrilus bilineatus. , 1915 .

[6]  M. Elgar,et al.  Extreme cost of male riding behaviour for juvenile females of the Zeus bug , 2010, Animal Behaviour.

[7]  T. Baker,et al.  Behavioral Evidence for a Contact Sex Pheromone Component of the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus Planipennis Fairmaire , 2009, Journal of Chemical Ecology.

[8]  S. Myers,et al.  Evaluation of Heat Treatment Schedules for Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) , 2009, Journal of economic entomology.

[9]  M. Rhainds.  Female mating failures in insects , 2010 .

[10]  K. Ryall,et al.  A contact sex pheromone component of the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) , 2009, Naturwissenschaften.

[11]  D. Herms,et al.  Interspecific Variation in Resistance to Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Among North American and Asian Ash (Fraxinus spp.) , 2008, Environmental entomology.

[12]  D. McCullough,et al.  Estimating Potential Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Populations Using Ash Inventory Data , 2007, Journal of economic entomology.

[13]  D. Rankin,et al.  Lonely hearts or sex in the city? Density-dependent effects in mating systems , 2006, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

[14]  I. Fraser,et al.  Sulfuryl Fluoride as a Quarantine Treatment for Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Ash Logs , 2010, Journal of economic entomology.

[15]  M. Edvardsson.  Female Callosobruchus maculatus mate when they are thirsty: resource-rich ejaculates as mating effort in a beetle , 2007, Animal Behaviour.

[16]  J. Gascoigne,et al.  Dangerously few liaisons: a review of mate-finding Allee effects , 2009, Population Ecology.

[17]  M. Petrie,et al.  Why do females mate multiply? A review of the genetic benefits , 2000, Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.

[18]  G. Arnqvist,et al.  The evolution of polyandry: multiple mating and female fitness in insects , 2000, Animal Behaviour.

[19]  W. Cǒté,et al.  Biology of two-lined chestnut borer, Agrilus bilineatus, in Pennsylvania and New York. , 1980 .

[20]  G. Barter.  Studies of the Bronze Birch Borer, Agrilus anxius Gory, in New Brunswick , 1957, The Canadian Entomologist.

[21]  T. Baker,et al.  Visually Mediated ‘Paratrooper Copulations’ in the Mating Behavior of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a Highly Destructive Invasive Pest of North American Ash Trees , 2007, Journal of insect behavior.

[22]  Randy Thornhill,et al.  The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems , 1983 .

[23]  P. Eady,et al.  Copulation, genital damage and early death in Callosobruchus maculatus , 2007, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

[24]  C. Jersabek,et al.  Hang on or run? Copepod mating versus predation risk in contrasting environments , 2007, Oecologia.

[25]  Brian Leung,et al.  Modelling local and long‐distance dispersal of invasive emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera) in North America , 2006 .

[26]  Therese M. Poland,et al.  Emerald Ash Borer: Invasion of the Urban Forest and the Threat to North America’s Ash Resource , 2006, Journal of Forestry.

[27]  C. Magnhagen.  Predation risk as a cost of reproduction. , 1991, Trends in ecology & evolution.

[28]  C. Fox.  Multiple mating, lifetime fecundity and female mortality of the bruchid beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) , 1993 .

[29]  T. Poland,et al.  Behaviors of adult Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) , 2007 .

[30]  W. C. Allee.  Principles Of Animal Ecology , 1949 .

[31]  D. Pureswaran,et al.  The Role of Olfactory Cues in Short-Range Mate Finding by the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) , 2009, Journal of Insect Behavior.

[32]  M. Ridley.  MATING FREQUENCY AND FECUNDITY IN INSECTS , 1988 .

[33]  C. Ridley,et al.  Population size and relatedness affect fitness of a self-incompatible invasive plant , 2007, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[34]  J. Legaspi,et al.  Life History of Podisus maculiventris Given Low Numbers of Epilachna varivestis as Prey , 1993 .

[35]  K. Reinhardt,et al.  Potential sexual transmission of environmental microbes in a traumatically inseminating insect , 2005 .

[36]  William J. Sutherland,et al.  What Is the Allee Effect , 1999 .

[37]  Michael D Greenfield,et al.  Risk trading in mating behavior: forgoing anti-predator responses reduces the likelihood of missing terminal mating opportunities , 2010, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

[38]  Andrew M. Liebhold,et al.  Influence of foraging behavior and host spatial distribution on the localized spread of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis , 2011, Population Ecology.

[39]  Min Lu,et al.  Biology and damage traits of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in China , 2007 .

[40]  Deborah G. McCullough,et al.  Dispersal of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, in newly‐colonized sites , 2009 .

[41]  D. Goulson,et al.  The benefits of multiple mating to female seaweed flies, Coelopa frigida (Diptera: Coelpidae) , 2005, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

[42]  M. Siva-jothy.  Trauma, disease and collateral damage: conflict in cimicids , 2006, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

[43]  Karl P. Schmidt,et al.  Principles of Animal Ecology , 1950 .