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Psyche 
[Vol. 91 
plastic held in place with nails. Females use the same burrow 
throughout their adult lives 1 (Wing 1982), and numbered flags 
placed at the burrow location were sufficient to identify each 
individual. Copulations were timed with a stopwatch, and some 
were observed with a magnifying glass. 
An 18 X 20 m area was searched for females nightly starting 
before male flights began and ending after they had ended for the 
night. The location of each female was marked and I inspected her 
position at approximately 1 min intervals. 
Each time a female’s position was visited on a given night, she was 
presented penlight simulations of the male signal. Because females 
do not respond following a successful mating, but pause and then 
re-enter their burrow (Wing 1982), a female answer to my signal 
indicated that she was not yet mated. If she failed to respond, I 
determined whether she was 1) still out but not responsive; 2) 
mating; 3) entering her burrow; or 4) gone. All female locations 
were checked until the adult season was over. 
Because the same area was searched nightly throughout the 
season, when a new female appeared she was almost certainly a 
virgin making her first appearance. Complete sexual histories of 108 
collustrans females were recorded. 
Results 
Of the 108 females whose complete sexual histories were 
determined, 104 mated only once. The general sexual pattern was as 
follows. The female appeared by her burrow nightly until she 
attracted a male (x = 2 nights). The male, having located the female 
by her continued responses to his signals, landed nearby and walked 
to her. Upon making physical contact, the male climbed upon the 
female, and copulated with her in the male-above position (Fig. 1). 
Copulation lasted about 1 min (details below). The male broke the 
connection, dismounted, and flew away leaving the female outside 
her burrow. Following copulation the female paused for seconds or 
minutes, and did not flash responses to signals of passing males. She 
then entered her burrow. 
'During this study 91 females were individually marked with Tech Pen Ink dispensed 
from Hamilton’s paint pots (T. Walker and Wineriter 1981). Females appeared for 
up to 10 consecutive nights. Every appearance by each marked female occurred at her 
original position. 
