On the Adult Behavioral Repertoire of the Sawfly Perreyia flavipes Konow, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Pergidae): Movement, Mating, and Thanatosis

F. M. Neves*, M. R. Pie

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (journal)peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Perreyia flavipes Konow, 1899 (Pergidae: Perreyinae) is a sawfly species with gregarious larvae commonly found in open areas in southern Brazil through Uruguay and northern Argentina. The combination of highly gregarious larvae with the production of a variety of toxins in P. flavipes has led to severe cases of intoxication in a variety of livestock species. Over the years, considerable information was discovered on the larval natural history of P. flavipes; however, virtually nothing is known about the adult behavior, particularly because of its short life-span. In this study, we report on the first extensive study on the adult behavior of P. flavipes, including movement, mating (with oviposition and maternal care), and thanatosis. Our results show some unusual behavioral adaptations presented by P. flavipes, such as irregular activity behavior (i.e., deficient gait pattern), thanatosis behavior-like display, and primitive maternal care. Individual behavioral acts are described and compared among sexes, and their potential functions are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)46-52
Number of pages7
JournalNeotropical Entomology
Volume47
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2018

Keywords

  • Behavioral repertoire
  • natural history
  • sawflies
  • thanatosis

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