ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the nature of courtship in Melittobia wasps in terms of behavioral reaction chains, as a means of analyzing the elements of a complex behavior sequence. It attempts to determine the sensory modalities involved, the role of male-male and female-female interactions in courtship, and the correlation of male and female antennal structure to courtship role. Courtship among insects is highly diverse, ranging from simple mounting without preliminaries to elaborate stereotyped sequences. Typically, complex courtship will include behaviors of attraction, recognition, orientation, mounting, antennation, and finally copulation. Visual, chemical, and tactile cues are almost always involved. Observations of courtship in Melittobia are facilitated by the pronounced sexual dimorphism encountered in this genus. Janice R. Matthews provides some additional background information on agonistic behavior in Melittobia. Additional experiments to investigate the roles of variables such as male size, age, and experience in aggressive behavior might prove worthwhile.
