Scale insect female
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Scale Insect, Giant |
| Scientific name | Margarodidae |
| Taxonomic group | Homoptera |
| Level | Family |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Selection and adaptations | Selection |
| Selection | Sexual selection |
| Behavior | Communication; Mating |
| Organisms | Animals |
| Animals | Insects |
| Location | Monteverde,Puntarenas,Costa Rica,North America |
Giant scale insect female using pheromones to call a male, Costa Rica. This is an adult female giant scale insect, about 1/4 of an inch long (approximately 6 mm). She is wingless and sedentary, spending most of her adulthood drinking sap from an herbaceous plant using her straw-like sucking mouthparts. Late every afternoon, however, she changes behavior markedly. She raises her abdomen, as seen here, and apparently begins releasing one or more pheromones. Soon after, males begin to appear and mate with the females. Compare her appearance with that of the male; this is an outstanding example of sexual dimorphism and sexual selection. The male is brightly colored, winged, and mobile, and functions as a moving sack of sperm; the female need only stay put, feed, attract mates, and produce large numbers of eggs. Each sex is clearly optimized for its function.
