Hard-shell mating in Neohelice granulata: the role of ecdysone in female receptivity and mate attraction

SAL MOYANO M. P.; LUPPI T.; MEDESANI D. A.; MCLAY C; RODRÍGUEZ E. M.

JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A-SENSORY NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2017 vol. 203 p. 233 - 243

0340-7594

Most brachyuran females become receptive duringthe intermolt period, a condition considered ?derived?.However, as far as we know, studies testing the existenceand function of pheromones in decapods are based onspecies which have mating linked to molting, a conditionconsidered as ?ancestral?. For the first time, we studiedsome physiological and morphological processes involvedin Neohelice granulata intermolt female crabs becomingreceptive and potentially attracting males. We found thatreceptive females have mobile vulvae opercula due to a softeningprocess of the cuticle hinge which showed lower calciumlevels compared to the hinge of unreceptive females.Local softening of the hinge was stimulated by a low concentrationof ecdysone during the intermolt period. A putativepheromone liberated by receptive females to attractmales is presumed to be released through the mobile vulvaeand not through the urine.