Tadao Hirota

Population structure of the large Japanese field mouse, Apodemus speciosus (Rodentia: Muridae), in suburban landscape, based on mitochondrial D-loop sequences.

Genetic structure of the large Japanese field mouse populations in suburban landscape of West Tokyo, Japan was determined using mitochondrial DNA control region sequence. Samples were collected from six habitats linked by forests and green tract along the Tama River, and from two forests segregated by urban areas from those continuous habitats. Thirty‐five haplotypes were detected in 221 animals. Four to eight haplotypes were found within each local population belonging to the continuous landscape. Some haplotypes were shared by two or three adjacent local populations. On the other hand, two isolated habitats were occupied by one or two indigenous haplotypes. Significant genetic differentiation between all pairs of local populations, except for one pair in the continuous habitats, was found by analysis of molecular variance (amova). The geographical distance between habitats did not explain the large variance of pairwise FST‐values among local populations. FST‐values between local populations segregated by urban areas were higher than those between local populations in the continuous habitat, regardless of geographical distance. The results of this study demonstrated quantitatively that urban areas inhibit the migration of Apodemus speciosus, whereas a linear green tract along a river functions as a corridor. Moreover, it preserves the metapopulation structure of A. speciosus as well as the corridors in suburban landscape.

Influence of visual stimuli on host location in the butterfly, Eurema hecabe

The influence of visual stimuli on female host location was investigated in Eurema hecabe (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Mated females with no oviposition experience were presented with artificial plant models treated with the methanol extract of the host plant, Lespedeza cuneata (Fabaceae). When models of different colours were presented to females, they landed and deposited eggs predominantly on the yellow‐green model. However, the size of the model was not important. When females were presented with simple square models and a model on which small squares were assembled, they predominantly chose the assembly model. This suggests that female discern the pattern which resembles the leaf of their main host plants, which consists of many small leaflets. However, the whole image of a leaf of the host plant was not an essential cue for host location, as females also chose the square with the central space more frequently than that without the space. We suggest that the long contour of a complicated form plays a role in female host location.

The Influence of Air Temperature and Sunlight Intensity on Mate-Locating Behavior of Pieris rapae crucivora

Abstract It is considered that the mate-locating behaviors of ectothermic insects are constrained by the ambient thermal conditions, since the flight ability depends on the body temperature. However, since ecological factors also influence the mating behaviors, the flight ability would not necessarily determine the time schedule of male mate-locating flight. To reveal how the ambient thermal conditions influence the mating behaviors, we investigated the association of air temperature and sunlight intensity with the diurnal schedule of female-searching behavior in male P. rapae crucivora. In the early morning, the proportion of female-searching males to basking males increased as the air temperature and sunlight intensity increased. The air temperature was also associated significantly with the diurnal schedule of male female-search on 7 of 8 observation days. The number of female-searching males reached the peak when the air temperature was between 24 and 29°C. On the other hand, the sunlight intensity did not account for the diurnal schedule of male female-search. The associations between the sunlight intensity and male female-search were not consistent among different days. When the air temperature was roughly constant, however, the sunlight intensity was correlated significantly with male activity of female-search. The regression of male activity of female-search as a function of sunlight intensity was improved, when it was assumed that the sunlight intensity influenced male behaviors with a delay of 1 to 4 minutes, and when it was assumed that the mean intensity of sunlight for 1 to 9 minutes influenced male behaviors.

Factors affecting internest variation in the aggressiveness of a polygynous ant, Camponotus yamaokai

The facultatively polygynous ant Camponotus yamaokai shows various degrees of internest hostility. We examined the relationship between aggressiveness and possible factors that affect the level of hostility, such as internest distance, numbers of queens and workers, and brood size. We found that the aggression level did not significantly correlate with these factors. Our study suggests that information on the colony genetic structure is important in understanding variation in the aggressiveness of polygynous colonies.

Time allocation to the reproductive and feeding behaviors in the male cabbage butterfly.

Abstract Individually marked males of Pieris rapae crucivora, were observed to determine how they allocate time to reproduction and feeding. Males were found to alternately feed and search for females. This manner of time allocation persisted throughout the day. The total times that males allocated to the two behaviors were positively correlated, i.e. those males that spent longer searching for females, also feed for longer periods. Males, however, tended to allocate more time to the female-searching in the morning than in the afternoon, while time allocated to feeding throughout the day. Older males spent more time searching for females in the morning. The body weight of male butterflies also changed as they aged. The results are discussed in terms of both proximal and ultimate aspects of female-search.

The effect of female polyandry and sperm precedence on the evolution of sexual difference in dispersal timing.

Predispersal copulation and unpredictable environment facilitate the evolution of female‐biased dispersal in species, where females are functionally monandrous. Females should migrate and reproduce over different habitats to spread their risks due to environmental fluctuation. On the other hand, males do not have to disperse because their risks are spread by their mating partners who produce their offspring in different habitats. However, when females are functionally polyandrous, it is expected that they will not contribute to spreading the males risk extensively. Therefore, by simulation with the individual based model, the present study evaluated how female polyandry influences the sexual difference in dispersal timing. This model revealed that when females are polyandrous, the timing of female remating and sperm priority patterns have an important influence on the evolution of sex‐biased dispersal. Particularly when female remating is not synchronized with dispersal or when last‐male sperm precedence does not exist, female‐biased dispersal is evolved.

Colony fusion in a parthenogenetic ant, Pristomyrmex punctatus.

Abstract In the ant Pristomyrmex punctatus Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), all young workers lay a small number of eggs parthenogenetically. Some colonies consist of monoclonal individuals that provide high inclusive fitness, according to the kin selection theory. However, in some populations, a majority of the colonies contain multiple lineages. Intracolonial genetic variation of parthenogenetic ants cannot be explained by the multiple mating of single founderesses or by the foundation of a colony by multiple foundresses, which are the usual causes of genetically diverse colonies in social insects. Here, we hypothesized that the fusion of established colonies might facilitate the formation of multiclonal colonies. Colony fusion decreases indirect benefits because of the reduction in intracolonial relatedness. However, when suitable nesting places for overwintering are scarce, colony fusion provides a strategy for the survival of colonies. Here, ants derived from different colonies were allowed to encounter one another in a container with just one nesting place. Initially, high aggression was observed; however, after several days, no aggression was observed and the ants shared the nest. When the fused colonies were allowed to transfer to two alternative nests, ants from different colonies occupied the same nest. This study highlights the importance of limiting the number of nesting places in order to understand the genetic diversity of parthenogenetic ant colonies.

Geographic expansion of the cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae) and the evolution of highly UV-reflecting females

Abstract  Reflection of ultraviolet (UV) light by the wings of the female Eurasian cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae, shows a large geographic variation. The wings of the female of the European subspecies, P. rapae rapae, reflect little UV light, while butterflies of the Asian subspecies, P. rapae crucivora, may reflect it strongly or at only intermediate levels. The geographic region where P. rapae originated remains to be determined. Moreover, it is not clear if females with wings that reflect little UV light are ancestral to females with wings that reflect UV strongly or vice versa. In the present study, we aimed to determine the geographic origin and ancestral UV pattern of cabbage butterflies through mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. The results of these investigations suggest that P. rapae is of European origin and that it has expanded its distribution eastward to Asia. It follows that the ancestral subspecies is the type with UV‐absorbing wings. Lower nucleotide diversities and haplotype network patterns of mtDNA derived from East Asian populations suggest that population expansion from Europe to East Asia probably occurred fairly recently and at a rapid rate.

Spermatophore expulsion in the carrion beetle Silpha perforata (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

Silphinae (Coleoptera: Silphidae) is an abundant decomposer that plays important roles in the ecosystem. However, there is little information about the life history of this taxon. We found sperm displacement behavior in carrion beetle Silpha perforata. Copulating males bit the females antenna strongly and inserted the penis into the partners genital organ more than once. We found a white substance on the tip of penis during copulation. We examined whether this white substance is a previous males spermatophore, which was removed from the mating partner. When females were dissected just after mating, the same substance that often presents on the penis of mating males was found in the bursa copulatrix of females, although the bursa copulatrix of virgin females was empty. Male behavior during copulation with females of different mating history was also observed to confirm that the removal of spermatophores was observed only in copulation with females that have the spermatophores of previous males. Consequently, we estimated that S. perforata males removed spermatophores of previous males from mating partners. In addition, we dissected the males frozen during copulation, and inspected the penis morphology. This observation revealed that the apical part of the penis was usually hidden in the basal part of penis, but expanded and appeared during insertion. This apical part had many spines, which play an important role in sperm displacement and sexual conflict in some species. These results indicate that there is the sperm competition in S. perforata. This is the first report on sperm competition in Silphinae.

Do Males Bite Females' Antennae to Coerce Copulation or to Continue Mate Guarding in Oiceoptoma subrufum (Coleoptera: Silphinae)?

In several species, males frequently immobilize females during copulation. In some species, female immobilization enables males to copulate with unwilling females, while in others, female immobilization prolongs postcopulatory guarding. Male carrion beetles often bite and pull hard on one of the females antennae during copulatory mounting. Previous descriptive studies have hypothesized that antenna biting is important for postcopulatory guarding in Silphinae. Here, we observed the mating behavior of Oiceoptoma subrufum, to understand the roles of antenna-biting in the initiation and termination of copulation. We compared the success and duration of intromission and pre- and postcopulatory mounting duration between males that did and did not bite female antennae during copulatory mounting. The success and duration of intromission and precopulatory mounting duration were unaffected by antenna biting. However, antenna-biting males mounted females for longer after intromission compared to non-biting males. These results indicate that antenna biting contributes to postcopulatory guarding behavior, not coercive copulation, in O. subrufum.