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Psyche 
[December 
by other animals. The female is entirely responsible for the pair’s 
locomotion which can be quite rapid. 
In three copulations, an area of moisture was noticed on the paper 
towel liner beneath the male’s head. It appeared that this was due 
to the male extruding water or some other fluid from his mouth. 
In one instance, a sudden surge of this moisture on the paper coin- 
cided with a movement of the male’s head. These wet spots ap- 
peared within the first few minutes of copulation and were visible 
for about 4 minutes. 
The females of copulating pairs assume an arched posture in 
which the body is held rather high above the substratum and flexed 
sharply ventrally. The posterior part of a copulating female’s 
abdomen curves downward to where it joins the male’s abdominal 
tip which is very close to the substratum. This arched posture may 
be pronounced enough to cause the male’s wings (which overlie the 
female’s abdomen) to be raised somewhat. This posture may be 
observed throughout the copulation, but it varies in extent; periods 
of very marked arching alternate with periods during which the 
arching is much less noticeable. 
In two copulating pairs, rhythmical movements were observed 
for which the female appeared responsible. This entailed a pivoting 
of the female’s body about a transverse axis such that her abdominal 
tip moved upward, pulling the male’s abdominal tip upward with it. 
In both pairs these movements were observed toward the end of 
copulation and occurred in a series which ceased and then was later 
resumed. 
The Role of Various Releasers in the Courtship Sequence 
A diagram illustrating the various avenues courtship behavior may 
take is presented in Figure 1. Possible releasers of various events in 
the courtship sequence are indicated. 
1. Release of the male’s behavior 
Olfactory reception of the volatile female sex pheromone, the 
primary releaser of the male’s courtship behavior, is sufficient to 
release all of the male’s courtship behavior up to and including 
backing. In addition to the mating chamber observations, tests using 
filter papers removed from the female side of the chamber were 
conducted prior to the observation period. The males responded 
with vigorous antennal waving, oriented locomotion, flying and wing 
raising with fluttering. The rapid locomotion became random after 
a short while. Tactile stimulation from other males was not in- 
