Endoclita signifer Walker is the most destructive wood-boring pest of Eucalyptus in China, causing significant economic and ecological damage. As an insect of the primitive Lepidoptera family Hepialidae, E. signifer fly and mat for only 10−20 min at dusk. The courtship and mating behavior of E. signifer adults and whether male moths release sex pheromones are still unknown, especially since transitory flight survival strategies in primitive moths differ from advanced moths like noctuids. In this study, we first observed the courtship and mating behavior of E. signifer by considering the effects of space and then analyzed extracts of male hairbrushes using gas chromatography–electroantennogram detection. Our results indicated that during the courtship period, flying males form courtship fields, lekking, and chase flying females before mating with them; E. signifer were more successful in mating in larger spaces (Length × Width × Height = 9.6 × 7 × 4 m); 5 compounds in the hairbrushes of the male moths which elicited antennal responses of 2 sexes, despite at high concentrations. Combined with it, indicating that communication between male and female may rely on male sex pheromones. These findings can serve as a basis for studying the mechanisms of sex communication in E. signifer and developing sex pheromone-based trapping techniques.

中文翻译：

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Endoclitasignifer（蝙蝠科：鳞翅目）的求爱和交配行为以及发刷中的雄性性信息素

桉树桉是我国最具破坏性的桉树蛀木害虫，造成严重的经济和生态破坏。作为一种原始鳞翅目蝙蝠蛾科昆虫，E.signifer 在黄昏时仅飞行和停留 10-20 分钟。E.signifer 成虫的求偶和交配行为以及雄蛾是否释放性信息素仍然未知，特别是因为原始蛾的短暂飞行生存策略与夜蛾等高级蛾不同。在本研究中，我们首先考虑空间的影响观察了 E.signifer 的求偶和交配行为，然后使用气相色谱-触角电图检测分析了雄性发刷的提取物。我们的研究结果表明，在求偶期间，飞行的雄性会形成求偶场、交配，并在与飞行的雌性交配前追逐它们；E.signifer 在较大空间（长 × 宽 × 高 = 9.6 × 7 × 4 m）中交配更成功；雄蛾毛刷中的 5 种化合物尽管浓度很高，但仍能引起两种性别的触角反应。结合起来，表明男女之间的交流可能依赖于男性性信息素。这些发现可以作为研究 E.signifer 性通讯机制和开发基于性信息素的诱捕技术的基础。