Males of many moths possess scent organs, ranging from simple scales and hair-tufts to complex glands. Males of the gregarious beet webworm Loxostege sticticalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) display their ventroposterior brushes (VPBs), located on the eighth abdominal sternite, toward adjacent females and usually maintain this posture until sexually receptive females become available, or the arrival of photophase. The peak period of male L. sticticalis VPB display during the scotophase broadly coincides with that of mating. Our experiments revealed that females exposed to male VPB display increased their calling behavior and were more likely to mate than those exposed to males that did not display their VPBs. Volatile chemicals provide the only reliable sensory modality for intersexual communication in L. sticticalis because all behavioral assays were conducted in a sealed darkroom, thereby eliminating a role for visual signals, and no vibratory signals occurred during VPB displaying. Therefore, odors released from the VPB of male L. sticticalis may act as aphrodisiac signals to conspecific females in order to enhance female receptivity and increase his mating success. Our study indicates that chemical communication in these gregarious moths apparently involves mutually stimulating interactions between female attractant and male courtship pheromones.

中文翻译：

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雄性腹后刷显示增加了合群甜菜网虫 Loxostege sticticalis（鳞翅目：蟹科）中雌性的性接受能力

许多飞蛾的雄性都有气味器官，从简单的鳞片和毛簇到复杂的腺体。群居的甜菜网虫 Loxostege sticticalis（鳞翅目：Crambididae）的雄性向相邻的雌性展示位于第八腹部胸骨上的腹后刷（VPB），并且通常保持这种姿势，直到性接受性雌性变得可用，或光相位的到来。雄性 L. sticticalis VPB 显示的高峰期在暗期与交配期大致一致。我们的实验表明，暴露于雄性 VPB 的雌性比那些暴露于未展示其 VPB 的雄性的雌性增加了它们的叫声行为，并且更有可能交配。挥发性化学物质为 L. 的两性交流提供了唯一可靠的感官方式。sticticalis 因为所有的行为检测都是在密封的暗室中进行的，从而消除了视觉信号的作用，并且在 VPB 显示过程中没有出现振动信号。因此，雄性 L. sticticalis 的 VPB 释放的气味可能作为催情信号，向同种雌性发出催情信号，以提高雌性的接受度并增加其交配成功率。我们的研究表明，这些群居飞蛾的化学通讯显然涉及雌性引诱剂和雄性求爱信息素之间的相互刺激相互作用。sticticalis 可以作为对同种雌性的催情信号，以提高雌性的接受度并增加其交配成功率。我们的研究表明，这些群居飞蛾的化学交流显然涉及雌性引诱剂和雄性求爱信息素之间的相互刺激相互作用。sticticalis 可以作为对同种雌性的催情信号，以提高雌性的接受度并增加其交配成功率。我们的研究表明，这些群居飞蛾的化学通讯显然涉及雌性引诱剂和雄性求爱信息素之间的相互刺激相互作用。