Mating alters the food choices of adult ladybird beetle (Propylea dissecta Mulsant)

Abstract

Abstract Mating alters nutritional and energetic needs which results in behavioural and physiological changes related to reproduction. But little is known as to how mating influences sex specific food preferences in ladybird beetle, Propylea dissecta. To explore this, 10-day old adults were subjected to different time mating interruption treatments, i.e., no mating, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 minutes and complete mating (211 ± 8.1 min) and post mating they were then provided with food choice (i.e., Aphis craccivora, conspecific eggs, and heterospecific eggs) separately in Petridish. Results show that on increase in mating duration females showed altered food choice whereas it was found to be insignificant in males. However, in both the sexes time to consume first prey was decreased on increase in mating duration possibly to cope up high energy expenditure and to fulfil their instant food requirements. Our results indicate that mating modulates sex-specific food preference in ladybird beetle, P. dissecta.