Andrews R H, Petney T N, Bull C M
School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, 5042, Bedford Park, South Australia.
Oecologia. 1982 Feb;52(2):281-286. doi: 10.1007/BF00363851.
Reproductive interference between three species of reptile tick, Aponomma hydrosauri, Amblyomma albolimbatum and Amb. limbatum was investigated. Adults of two species attach together on the same lizard hosts in narrow overlap zones at parapatric boundaries between species, providing opportunities for interference. The possibility of reproductive interference was suggested because of similarities in the sexual communication systems.Three forms of interference were found in laboratory experiments. Firstly male movement to search for sexually receptive females was inhibited when females of two species were present on the same host, probably because of signal interference. Secondly, a nonspecific, short range attractant pheromone led males into non-conspecific courtship attempts which reduced the time for conspecific courtships. Thirdly Amb. albolimbatum males physically blocked the genitalia of female Ap. hydrosauri after unsuccessful non-conspecific courtship attempts. Field data showed this behaviour was common in both Amblyomma species after conspecific matings. Reproductive interference would reduce the fitness of each species in sympatry, and may contribute to the maintenance of the narrow parapatric boundaries.
对三种爬行蜱螨，即水龙硬蜱（Aponomma hydrosauri）、白缘花蜱（Amblyomma albolimbatum）和缘斑花蜱（Amb. limbatum）之间的生殖干扰进行了研究。在物种间邻域边界的狭窄重叠区域，两种蜱螨的成虫会在同一蜥蜴宿主上附着在一起，这为干扰提供了机会。由于性通讯系统存在相似性，因此存在生殖干扰的可能性。在实验室实验中发现了三种干扰形式。首先，当同一宿主上存在两种蜱螨的雌虫时，雄虫寻找性成熟雌虫的移动会受到抑制，这可能是由于信号干扰。其次，一种非特异性的短程吸引性信息素会导致雄虫进行非同种求偶尝试，从而减少了同种求偶的时间。第三，在非同种求偶尝试失败后，白缘花蜱雄虫会从物理上阻塞水龙硬蜱雌虫的生殖器。野外数据表明，这种行为在两种花蜱同种交配后都很常见。生殖干扰会降低同域分布中每个物种的适合度，并可能有助于维持狭窄的邻域边界。
