Abstract:
The mating of the rat flea Nosopsyllus fasciatus (Bosc.) starts when a male accidentally collides with a female. The contact chemical stimulus is received by the maxillary palps of the male. A sexually stimulating substance(probably similar or identical in nature) is present on the cuticle of both sexes. It causes one male to erect his antiennae, pusch his head underneath the female`s abdomen and clasp her abdominal sternum 2 or 3. If the male loses contact a searching behaviour is elicited After the achievement of the antennal clasp, he raises his genitalia and a genital linkage is achieved. Failure of perfect alignment may be corrected either by dorsoventral and lateral waving of the male`s abdomen or a reversion to an earlier stage in the mating sequence allowing the male to readjust the antennal clasp. A negatively phototactic behaviour is shown after the start of copulation which lasts from two to three hours.
Page(s):
165-165
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Pakistan Journal of Zoology, Volume: 6, Issue: 1--2, Year: 1974