Description and theoretical considerations of mate finding and other adult behaviors in a Colorado population of Claassenia sabulosa (Plecoptera: Perlidae)

• Published in: Annals of the Entomological Society of America 1996-03, Vol.89 (2), p.290-296
• Main Authors: Alexander, K.D. (University of North Texas, Denton, TX.), Stewart, K.W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ACCOUPLEMENT; Animal ethology; AQUATIC INSECTS; Biological and medical sciences; Claassenia sabulosa; COLORADO; COMMUNICATION ANIMALE; COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ANIMALS; COMPORTAMIENTO SEXUAL; COMPORTEMENT SEXUEL; COMUNICACION ENTRE ANIMALES; COPULA; COPULATION; DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; INSECTE AQUATIQUE; INSECTOS ACUATICOS; mate finding behavior; MATING BEHAVIOR; Perlidae; PLECOPTERA; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR; SON (ACOUSTIQUE); SONIDO; SOUND; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT
• ISSN: 0013-8746; 1938-2901
• DOI: 10.1093/aesa/89.2.290

Adult behaviors of a Gunnison River, Colorado population of Claassenia sabulosa (Banks) are reported. Synchronized emergences began in late July 1992 and early August 1993; each emergence lasted approximately 2 wk. Eighty-nine percent of nymphs crawled out of shallow water onto emergent stones near the shoreline for transformation, predominantly on dark nights beginning at nightfall. Males emerged significantly earlier in the night than females, their molting times were significantly shorter, and they began immediately searching near the shoreline on isolated stones partially exposed above the water surface. Male mate searching consisted of circling and scrambling over high areas and angular sections of the emergent rock encounter sites. Males encountering a molting female guarded her and began attempting copulation when her genitalia became exposed. Copulations lasted approximately 62 s, and males subsequently guarded females to delay or reduce further matings by other males. A few unguarded, individual females were observed mating up to 9 times with as many as 5 males. Most females were mated for the 1st time before hardening. Both sexes were active only during the 2-h period just after dusk. When not engaged in mating, they scurried over the water surface between emergent stones and the shore. At all other times, they remained inactive under stones or debris on the stream bank, typically within 1 m of the shoreline. Females with extruded egg masses scrambled over the water surface between emergent stones, washing eggs directly into shallow water. Females were never observed flying and could not be induced to fly. Drumming, by males, did not appear to be a primary requisite for mate finding. Evolution of mate finding behaviors in relation to drumming and other behaviors is discussed, and a paradigm for evolution from a drumming-assisted mate locating method to a search-intensive, encounter site specific method is proposed for this population.