Effect of mating interval on mate guarding and reproductive attributes of ladybirds

Post copulatory mate guarding in insects is a major means of securing paternity. It is explained as a male adaptation to avoid sperm competition by excluding rivals from mating with the guarded female. The present experiments were designed to investigate the effect of single mating and subsequent or interval based second mating with same or different male on mate guarding duration, fecundity and percent egg viability of a ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius). For this study second mating was given with same or different male. Statistical analysis revealed significant difference between mate guarding duration of first and second matings. Maximum mate guarding duration was recorded for interval based double mating treatment with different male and same was recorded for the fecundity and percent egg viability. Present results clearly indicate that in interval based second mating is sufficient duration to the female for the preparation of second mating and female trying to diversify own offspring by the high mating duration with the different male. This may occurs due to highly diversify population of any species have high survival rate by the natural selection. Such condition may be very use full for the improving the biocontrol activity of this ladybird against to aphid pest population.