Reproductive Behaviors and Pairing Modes of Odontotermes fomosanus(Shiraki)Alates

[ Objectives ] To study the reproductive behaviors and the effect of different pairing modes on the developmental status of incipient colonies＇of Odontote- rmes fomosanus （Shiraki）. [ Methods ] We observed the reproductive behaviors of male alates, female Mates and mated alates respectively. Male and female Mates had 9 pairing modes and founded 170 incipient colonies under laboratory conditions. The effect of pairing mode on incipient colonies＇ developmental status was ana- lyzed. [ Results ] Two peaking hours of mating activity within the daily circadian rhythm of Mate activity appeared from 09：00 to 10：00, and from 21：00 to 22：00, respectively. Courtship behavior before mating consisted of touching with antennae, connecting into a ring （head-to-end）, and licking. The reproductive behavior （ calling, pairing, tandem, mating and oviposition） of nestmate pairs was different to that of non-nestmate pairs. The pairing time of non-nestmate pairs was signifi- candy longer than that of alates paired with siblings （P 〈 0.05 ）. The non-swarming alates could mate with swarming or non-swarming Mates and lay fertile eggs which hatched successfully. However, the survival rate of colonies founded by non-swarming alates was very low. The death rate of incipient colonies was in the range of 0.61% -0. 99% after three months, while the death rate of the colonies founded by swarming alates was in the range of 0.22% -0.58%. Females that had been experimentally prevented from mating could lay eggs, but the eggs did not hatch. [ Conclusion] There are two distinct hourly peaks of mating activity within each 24 hour period. Incipient colonies founded by outbreeding have the highest probability of survival.

Predictors of antenatal health service utilization among left-behind wives of male outmigrants:Evidence from Patna District,India

Objective:To analyze the sociological support system available for left-behind wives of male outmigrants and develop a model that predicts the antenatal care(ANC)services utilization.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted in rural regions of the Patna district,India.The sample size(n=328)was estimated using Cochran’s formula.Five parameters of the social support system were identified(autonomy,spousal support,family support,social circle support,and government support).The score for each was calculated as a composite score using multiple variables;these served as independent variables.The respondents were categorized as efficient and non-efficient users of ANC service based on established criteria.Results:The regression results showed that four out of five social parameters had a significant effect on ANC behavior.Spousal support was the strongest predictor(standardized regression coefficient β=0.57,OR 1.16,95%CI 1.08-1.79,P=0.007).Government support was found to be the second strongest predictor(β=0.40,OR 1.49,95%CI 1.04-2.14,P=0.027),followed by family support(β=0.31,OR 1.36,95%CI 1.23-2.57,P=0.034)and autonomy(β=0.11,OR 1.32,95%CI 1.11-2.26,P=0.030).The social circle support was found to be non-significant in predicting ANC behavior(P>0.05).Conclusions:The policymakers could focus on the identified predictors to strengthen and modify the existing policies for leftbehind wives of male outmigrants.The need of the hour is a strategic intervention for behavioral modification of not only the left-behind wives but also their family members along with reinforcement of the existing social-security net.One strategy we suggest is to launch an awareness campaign focusing on husbands(male outmigrants)and family members.

The Difficulties in Raising Fertility Rates-The Deficiencies and Improvements of the Maternity Protection System for Women of Childbearing Age

Fertility policies consist of not only the legal definition of"procreation",but also the"maternity"protection system,the complete set of selfconsistent social relations and policy systems formed around"fertility".Gender,labor and intergenerational relations are the cornerstones of a fertility policy system.In this framework,we focus on women of childbearing age as the main actors of reproductive behaviors,to research how drastic social changes have altered women,the above-mentioned relations,and policy support and analyze the structural factors that restrict women’s reproductive intentions.The traditional male breadwinner model,which can no longer prevail and the relatively slow development of maternity protection policies and service systems leave women of childbearing age in a dilemma between working hours and birth timing.Therefore,maternity protection policies should focus on improved decommodification of maternity insurance and the construction of women and children’s social welfare systems including childcare social service systems.

An Ethogram of the Toad-headed Lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii during the Breeding Season

In this study, we intended to construct an ethogram of the toad-headed lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii by classifying and describing its behaviors using the Posture-act-environment （PAE） method. Through direct field observation and video recording, we obtained eight postures, sixty-two acts and ten environments, and thus we formed an ethogram consisting of eighty-three behaviors encoded with PAE. A complete ethogram for a species could provide systematic behavioral information which helps to understand the connections among related behaviors and provides background information for specific behavioral study, hence the present ethogram will be greatly useful for future behavioral studies on P. vlangalii as well as other Phrynocephalus species.

Effect of 17α-Ethinylestradiol on the Time Needed for Males and Females of Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939 to Re-couple

The aim of presented study was to determine the behavioural response of precopulatory pairs of Gammarus tigrinus exposed to the 17α-ethinylestradiol （EE2）. It was hypothesized that 17α-ethinylestradiol would increase the time needed for a male to re-capture a female. Hypothesis was tested in a laboratory with 20 precopula pairs exposed to different treatment conditions. Paired animals were exposed to two different compound concentrations of 50 ng·L-1 and 500 ng·L-1. The control and solvent control was artificial sea water and artificial sea water with ethanol （the diluent for EE2）. The couples were tested several times under different experimental treatments. The obtained results indicate that EE2 affects the precopulatory mate guarding behaviour of Gammarus tigrinus. EE2 in concentration of 50 ng·L-1 and 500 ng·L-1 prolonged the time needed for re-pairing. However, relative to the controls only EE2 in concentration of 500 ng·L-1 significantly prolonged the time needed for male-female re-coupling. In summary, EE2 affects the reproductive behaviour of Gammarus tigrinus.

Understanding neuroendocrine regulatory pathways of sexual behavior in teleosts

The main neuroendocrine pathways of induction of reproductive behavior in fish are elucidated.17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-DHP),an oocyte maturation-inducing hormone,was found to act as a pheromone to induce male reproductive behavior.17α,20β-DHP-sulfate (17,20β-DHP-S),a derivative of 17,20β-DHP,was also identified as a later-acting pheromone.In addition,prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2α),which is synthesized during female ovulation,has been shown to also act as a pheromone,inducing the final oviposition-inducing behavior to make fertilization successful.It appears that these molecular events are initiated by stimuli from the brain.Numerous neuropeptides have been discovered that promote the initiation of reproductive behavior.Recently,with the proliferation of genome editing technology,a detailed analysis of the molecules involved in these pathways is underway.Analysis of gene knockout in zebrafish and medaka is actively underway.On the other hand,many research reports have shown that the induction pathways of male reproductive behavior are adversely affected by chemical substances.Knowledge of the adverse effects of chemical substances is not only useful as information to prevent their mixing from the viewpoint of protecting the natural environment and as a point of caution in fish farming,but also provides clues for elucidating the pathways of reproductive behavior induction.The elucidation of the pathways of reproductive behavior induction is also important from the point of view of breeding technology for fish farming and biodiversity conservation.In this review,we summarize recent research on the pathways of male reproductive behavior induction in fish and the possibility of developing new aquaculture techniques depending on the results.

Male-like testosterone levels inhibit oviposition in a female parrot： A breeding experiment in budgerigars

Studies in several songbird species have shown that treating females with the androgenic steroid hormone testoste- rone （T） can negatively affect female reproductive behaviors and breeding success. As the effects of T on females appear to be species-specific, it is not clear if similar effects of high T occur in non-songbird species. Here, we studied the effects of T supplementation on female reproductive behavior and oviposition in the budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus, a small monogamous parrot species with distinct sex differences in parental behavior. We experimentally increased T concentrations to male-like levels in T-treated females compared to controls and we allowed females to breed. We found no significant effects of treatment on the latency to enter the nestbox but T treatment significantly interfered with oviposition. Our results show that T-treated females were seven times less likely to produce a clutch than control females. As we found that T treatment had a strong inhibitory effect on oviposition, our results indicate that female budgerigars suffer fitness costs from male-like plasma T levels. Therefore, it may be possible that, also in non-songbird species, selection for higher T levels in males is constrained by a correlated response to selection which imposes fitness costs on females in terms of reproduction. Evaluating whether or not this is indeed the case requires further work combining different approaches to the study of the evolution of male and female testosterone levels [Current Zoology 61 （4）： 586-595, 2015].