SEX RECOGNITION PHEROMONE IN THE WEST-AFRICAN TSETSE-FLY, GLOSSINA-PALPALIS-PALPALIS (ROBINEAU-DESVOIDY)

The presence of a female sex recognition pheromone was established for the tsetse fly, G. p. palpalis (Robineau-Desvoidy). Virgin males that emerged in a laboratory from wild-collected pupae and wild males collected in the field usually gave sexual responses including hypopygium flexing to live (90%) and freshly-killed (80%) conspecific females. Copulatory responses were not seen with hexane-rinsed female flies. Males showed courtship behavior to cork and shoelace knot decoys treated with female extract, also to those treated with female cuticular hydrocarbons at 1, 2, 5 and 10 female equivalents (f. eq.). Copulatory responses with hypopygium flexing to extracts scored 12.5 and 0% at 1 and 2 f. eq., while copulatory responses to hydrocarbons scored 20 and 27% at 1 and 2 f. eq. These scores were significantly different from those for untreated decoys.