Temporal Reproductive Isolation between Two Species of Plume Moths (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae)

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Abstract
Males of Platyptilia carduidactyla (Riley) and P. williamsii Grinnell respond to the same synthetic sex attractant, (Z)-11-hexadecenal. However, release of pheromone in the two species is temporally separate, with female P. carduidactyla emitting pheromone during the first half of the night and P. williamsii calling during the second half of the night. Wild males seek conspecific females during these times. When the temporal differences between the two species are experimentally eliminated, the result can be cross-attraction and interspecific courtship (between female P. carduidactyla and male P. williamsii) and even copulations and transfer of spermatophores (between female P. williamsii and male P. carduidactyla). These interspecific interactions are detrimental, and could have led to selection for the observed temporal reproductive isolation.

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