Abstract: To understand the factors that influence mating duration in cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi Baly, the effects of the mating time of a day, age, mating history, body weight, male density and temperature on mating duration were investigated under laboratory conditions. The results showed that mating duration was significantly affected by the mating time of a day experienced by adults. Mating duration was highest at 8:00 am, and then gradually shortened with time elapse. There is a negative correlation between mating duration and the mating time of a day. There were significant differences in mating duration among the adults with different ages. There is a positive correlation between age and mating duration. The mating duration of a male paired with a mated female was significantly longer than that paired with a virgin female; however, there were no significant differences in mating duration between females paired with a mated or a virgin male. The mating duration was prolonged with increasing female and male body weight, but there was no significant difference. The mating duration under high male density was significantly shorter than that under low male density. The mating duration was highest at 22℃, followed by 25℃ and 28℃, showing significant differences among the three temperatures. These results indicate that the mating durations of C. bowringi were affected by many factors in natural conditions.

Key words: Colaphellus bowringi, mating behavior, mating duration, age, mating history, body weight, male density, temperature