220 
Psyche 
[December 
(1965) report that in the lab bugs remain in copulo from 3-35 hours. 
A total of six successful courtships was observed, largely in late 
May, with copulation occurring at 15.35, 18.39, 18.46, 19.27, 19.50, 
and 20.05. The description of courtship behavior which follows is 
based primarily on observations of one aggregation of between 10-20 
bugs regularly present on one bracken fern in late May and early 
June. Courting males were active despite the cool evenings; the 
females present were pressed flat against the stem or leaves of the 
fern. Males ( 1 ) palpated the upper surfaces of females with their 
antennae, (2) appeared to attempt to raise the female’s abdomen 
by placing their heads under the side of the female and lifting up- 
wards, and (3) turned and pressed their aedaegus, which might be 
completely extruded and partially inverted, against the side, belly, 
or tip of the abdomen of the female (or occasionally against the 
stem of the fern or even against another male courting the same fe- 
male). These behavior patterns occurred generally in the order pre- 
sented but since females were often unresponsive might be repeated 
over and over again. 
Sometimes in response to a courting male a female would lift her 
abdomen slowly upward away from the surface on which it had been 
resting. The male would continue to court, particularly with activ- 
ities (2) and (3), and often (4) palpated the undersides of the 
female’s abdomen while standing directly behind her. This might 
induce the would-be mate to raise her abdomen still higher until her 
body formed an approximately 30° angle with the stem to which she 
clung. At this point the male turned away and with completely 
extruded and inverted aedaegus backed toward the female all the 
while facing directly away from her. The male’s abdomen was also 
raised and upon touching the female he pressed his aedaegus about 
the tip of the female’s abdomen until it entered the female genital 
opening. After a series of small movements copulation was firmly 
achieved. The bugs might then move a short distance before settling 
down to remain in copulo for many hours. 
Males were extremely persistent courters often attending to a 
single female for 15-30 minutes before copulation was accomplished 
or before the male left in search of a more receptive female. One 
male was watched for almost one hour as it courted without success. 
However, on return to the plant 45 minutes later a mated pair rested 
on the branch where the persistent male had been active. 
Unreceptive females often simply remained flattened against a stem 
and did not move. Rejection of a male could be more active how- 
