Sexual behaviour of the blister beetle Epicauta atomaria (Germar), with remarks on the bionomics of Epicauta maculata species group (Meloidae: Meloinae: Epicautini)

Abstract

The sexual behaviour of the blister beetle Epicauta atomaria (Germar) (Meloidae: Meloinae: Epicautini), a pest that affects diverse crops of economic importance in South America, was evaluated for the first time under laboratory conditions. Twelve pairs of E. atomaria adults were collected from low-lying roadsides adjacent to grazed areas in Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina. To describe the sexual behaviour of this species, the number of events and their duration within different courtship phases in E. atomaria males were compared. An ethogram was built, showing that males perform three different behaviours during courtship phases: the quiescent period, antennal rubbing, and mounting. Our results showed that, during courtship, the number of events and the time of the mounting were low and significantly lower compared to behaviours undertaken during the quiescent period and antennal rubbing. In conclusion, the courtship of E. atomaria was clearly dominated by the quiescent period and antennal rubbing. To date, this is the first study to investigate sexual behaviour in E. atomaria, providing a foundation for future phylogenetic studies.