¿Do I attract you? Analysis of the presence and role of contact sex pheromone in a pseudoscorpion

PALEN PIETRI, ROCIO; CEBALLOS, ALEJANDRA; PERETTI, ALFREDO

Montevideo

Exposición; XXII International Congress of Arachnology; 2023

International society of arachnology

Chemical signals are one of the ancient forms of communication among individuals of the samespecies. Sex pheromones are a type of chemical signal that transmit valuable information in asexual selection context, such as transmitter condition, and influence mate choice. Inpseudoscorpions, the presence of pheromones has been suggested on multiple occasions buthas yet to be demonstrated experimentally. In Victorwithius similis, the males have a glandularsetae patch on the VIII sternite. It has been observed that the females actively follow the maleand initiate courtship, suggesting he leaves some trail. This work aims to determine thepresence of contact sex pheromones and their role in intersexual chemical communication inV. similis and the importance of the glandular patch on males. We expect the presence of sexpheromones in both males and females and that secretions emitted by the glandular patch actas attractants for females. We performed two behavioral bioassays (1) uncovered gland male(n=12); (2) covered gland male (n=12). Time spent by females and males in the capsule areathat previously harbored an individual of the opposite sex was analyzed. Preliminary resultsindicate that females spend more time in areas of the capsule previously inhabited by the male;this tendency is not yet clear for males. Once the results are completed, they will be discussedfrom communication and sexual selection perspectives.