Comparison of walking locomotory reactions of two forms ofCallosobruchus maculatus males subjected to female sex pheromone stimulation (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).

A comparison of the walking locomotory reactions of flightless and flight formCallosobruchus maculatus males when subjected to an air current scented with female sex pheromone was undertaken in a tubular olfactometer. The pheromone was delivered to the males either as short pulses or as a continuous flow. To analyze the males' reactions, three behavioral sequences were defined (sequence 1: male sensitivity/arousal; sequence 2: male reactivity; sequence 3; male progression and source location). Although flightless and flight form males were sensitive and reactive in all experiments, their locomotory displacement differed depending on the stimulus conditions. The flightless form males' response remained roughly the same whatever the stimulus conditions (i.e., they always reached the pheromone source). In contrast, the flight form males displayed a markedly reduced response when subjected to a continuous stimulation, indicating that intermittent on-off pheromone stimulation is required in order to sustain their upwind walking progress. This effect could be the result of sensory adaptation and/or habituation in the central nervous system of the flight form, requiring a flickering signal that is unnecessary for the flightless one.