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Effects of saline intake on spermatophore and sperm ejaculation in the male swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)
Author(s) -
WATANABE Mamoru,
KAMIKUBO Mari
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
entomological science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1479-8298
pISSN - 1343-8786
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-8298.2005.00114.x
Subject(s) - biology , spermatophore , lepidoptera genitalia , sperm , saline , butterfly , zoology , spermatozoon , anatomy , botany , ecology , endocrinology
Although sodium ions induce puddling behavior in males of some butterfly species, the role of sodium ions in male life history is unclear. Newly emerged laboratory‐reared males of the swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus were allocated to five adult diets: water (as a control) and 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 or 1 mol/L saline solution. Males preferred to take 0.1 mol/L saline solution. We attempted to hand‐pair males after two days of intake. Males on all diets, except those taking 1 mol/L saline solution, were likely to couple. Males taking 0.01 mol/L saline solution produced the largest spermatophore, although there were no significant differences in the number of eupyrene sperm bundles and apyrene spermatozoa between saline‐taking males and control males. Salt accumulation in the male body also had little effect on the number of both types of spermatozoon in the spermatophore.