Mating capability and behavior of Plutella xylostella

The mating capability and behavior of the DBM(diamondback moth) were investigated under laboratory conditions.Both males and females were able to mate at the first day after emergence,and males could copulate more than once in their lifetime.Three mating peaks were observed during one day,namely 12∶30,0∶30 and 6∶30.The mating ratio at the first day was low and increased at 2-4 d(71.4%-76%).The duration of mating ranged from 50 to 125 min,which was positively correlated with the age of the DBM.The mating ability of female and male was mainly influenced by sex ratio.The female and male moths mating frequency and capacity were the strongest when the female to male ratio was 2∶1,with the mating frequency of male moth being 8.67 and the sperm packet number of female moth received being six.