Field and Laboratory Studies on the Ecology, Reproduction, and Adult Diapause of the Asian Comma Butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Abstract

Adult diapause and reproduction of a nymphalid butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum L., were investigated in field and laboratory examinations. Laboratory studies showed that old virgin male butterflies of non-diapausing generations had heavy accessory glands and simplex, which were suppressed in diapausing generations. The number of eupyrene sperm bundles in the duplex increased with adult age, whereas testis size decreased with age. Field examinations indicated that reproductive development of both sexes of diapausing generations in autumn was suppressed, and developed in spring. We attempted to estimate the physiological age of wild-caught males, as adult male age can be estimated from the testis size. We also attempted to determine whether or not wild male butterflies had mated from the development of the accessory glands and simplex, as well as the number of eupyrene sperm bundles in the duplex, by comparing unmated males with mated males. Field examinations suggest that almost all females in a population of non-diapausing generations mated and showed a tendency toward polyandry, while in the diapausing generation, in spring, monoandry rather than polyandry predominated. This suggests a different mating strategy between non-diapausing and diapausing generations.