THE SIGNAL USED BY INSECTS TO ATTRACT FOR SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

The sexual reproduction of insects occurs in different ways. They are male and females insects that mate and reproduce sexually. Sometimes there is shortage of males then some female’s species may reproduce. In a few species females produce only females. Most female’s insects have one or more spermatozoa where sperm can be stored and can be support by secretions from the spermsthecal glands. Female’s reproductive organ consists of ovaries, bilateral Oviducts, a common Oviduct and a vaginal.
The male reproductive systems consists of paired testes, where the sperm produced, seminal vesicles and is where sperm are stored,, accessory glands and a common ejaculatory duct. Mating is important for sexual reproduction. After mating, female’s insects from many species become less attractive.

Different insects used different sign to attract others. Some of these insects release glands called pheromones. However male hide a pheromone to make the female to mate. Intraspecific interaction species release Allelochemical. All these chemicals are called semi chemicals which are used for attraction.
Some insects used sound to mate but others used visions to mate. However females’ scorpion flies require a marriage gift of food from the male before mating. Then the males’ mates with her while she eats, because of these male are selected by the size and quality of gift. Further more those females can enjoy to mate with male. This is done by scorpion flies insects.

Insects used displays or dancing as a sign to attract females to mate. This is some of the strategies that are used by insects. Male fight or decide the winner by comparing size. Remember that the scorpion flies insects did not use this strategies. Some female insects not mate unless the male is in possession of a suitable territory or food source, These is done by other insects. Although female moths have smell glands on the abdomen . These chemicals attract males.

Vision is another strategy that is used by insects such as Butterflies. Butterflies are one of the important types of insects. One can said that, butterflies used colour and movement to attract male to mate. Because of these colours that are used by butterflies, then the males will follow coloured imitation by females.
Some male’s flies form dense group, when the females see that group, then they are attracted by the sight of these groups and they start to enter and select mate. Male fireflies as an examples are attracted “by, and fly to, the light beat produce by the wingless females” (2). I is said that both sexes of butterflies are meet on hill tops or other geographical outcropping and is where they will select a mate, but other insects form a group as I indicated above.

Mating strategies through sound. These are some of the strategies that are used mostly by mosquitoes one can know that mosquitoes are one of the important types of insects, and the male mosquitoes are attracted by the message produced by the wing vibration of the female. But some grasshoppers and cicadas are attracted by the sound produced by their males. Crickets use their burrows to resonate the sound, but cicadas use the enlarge empty space in their abdomens. Some leafhoppers communicate by using substrate vibration.
Males are allow to leave females after mating, giving those males opportunity to increase their reproductive success by locating and inseminating additional females. In many insects’ species, seminal fluid received from fluids during mating mediate post mating behavioural and physiological changes in females. http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/KKhp/1insects/buginfo.html

Just conclude, insects use sight, smell, sound, pheromones, nibbling and waving of abdomen as a strategies or sign to attract mate for sexual reproduction. When we talk about sound, we are referring to the noises that are made by insects. Species that do not use courtship, they use pheromones and Allelochemical as a strategies to attract males for mating.

References

1. Hoffmann, M.P. and Frodsham, A.C. 1993 Insect Facts and Information. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/KKhp/1insects/buginfo.html[2006, May 08 13:11]

2. Knight,R. bcb Biodiversity Chapter 2. The swaming Horders [Cited 2006, May 08]. Available from:http://planet.uwc.ac.za/nisl/biodiversity/Chapter2/page_40.htm

3. Nordlund, D,A, 1981. Semiochemicals their role in pest control. [Internet] [Cited 2006 May, 08]. Available from:http://ipmworld.umn.edu/chapters/flint.htm

Linette Netshiheni
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