Male Lek Formation and Female Calling in a Population of the Arctiid Moth Estigmene acrea

Abstract

Abdominal coremata in male Estigmene acrea (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) are inflated and displayed in aggregations to which females and males are attracted and where mating occurs (leks). Female E. acrea also release a sex pheromone which attracts males. These two mating behaviors occur in the same populations at different peak times on the same nights. Thus male lek formation and female calling occur in the same species, and the male coremata, or related structures, appear to be integrally associated with lek behavior.