Courtship behaviour of nasonia vitripennis: head nodding, mouth-part extrusion and pheromone discharge by abdomectomized males
1981
ASSEM, J. | JACHMANN, F. | JONG, K.A.G.
Courting males of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis appear to release a pheromone with the extrusion of mouth parts during so-called head-nodding behaviour. This pheromone provokes sexual receptivity in conspecific virgin ♀ ♀. Abdomectomized ♂ ♂ court readily but have lost the ability to induce receptivity. Head nodding, mouth-part extrusion, and presumably also pheromone discharge, are absent from their courtship behaviour. However, plugging the injury results in reappearance of these motor patterns, and restores courtship success to the level of intact controls. We present some evidence for a hydraulic system involved in pheromone discharge (with head nodding and mouth-part extrusion). At the same time we present evidence, based on comparative data, that this system is unlikely to be a simple “on-and-off” type behaviour.
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