Mating Behavior and Evidence for Male-Produced Aggregation Pheromone in Cyrtomon luridus

What is it about?

Cyrtomon luridus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) is a serious pest of Duboisia sp. (Solanaceae) in Brazil. However, our knowledge of the reproductive behavior and the chemical ecology of this curculionid is based on very limited data. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the mating behavior of C. luridus and the olfactory response of males and females to volatiles of conspecifics alone or conspecifics with a host plant. The mating behavior was observed in newly emerged pairs for 9 days in the laboratory. A Y-tube olfactometer was used to evaluate the responses of beetles to odor sources. The paired adults began to mate 2 days after emergence, and they displayed repeated matings that increased in frequency with age. The males were the most active sex in the mating system of C. luridus. The mating sequence in this species was divided into precopulatory, copulatory and postcopulatory phases. In the olfactometer bioassays, the volatiles emitted from males that fed on Duboisia sp. were attractive to conspecific weevils. The evidence from this result indicates that chemical communication in C. luridus is likely mediated by an aggregation pheromone produced by males. Our findings provide new insights into the mating system and chemical ecology of C. luridus and may serve as a foundation for future studies to develop strategies for the management of this curculionid in the field.

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