Males of the seed bug Togo hemipterus (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) use accessory gland substances to inhibit remating by females

In species in which females mate repeatedly, males can adopt several strategies to reduce the risk of sperm competition with future males. The refractory period of females significantly increased as the mating duration increased in the seed bug Togo hemipterus (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae). To elucidate the mechanisms by which mated females are inhibited from remating, we investigated the effects of male-derived substances on the inhibition of mating receptivity of virgin females by injecting the substances into their abdomens. The length of time from injection to mating in virgin females was significantly longer for females injected with accessory gland B solution than for those injected with seminal vesicle, accessory gland A, or control solutions. This is the first report showing that heteropteran males inhibit female remating by using substances from an accessory gland. We discuss and consider the adoption and evolution of this strategy by T. hemipterus males by focusing on female genitalia structures, oviposition habit, and paternity and comparing these traits with those of other heteropterids.