Insect Physiology

Stimulation with bovine serum albumin (BSA) evokes spikes discharges from three receptor cells of the labellar chemosensilla in Protophormiu, the "sugar" cell being the most sensitive. Confrontation of the spike frequency profiles across all three chemoreceptor cells by the vector space analysis suggests that L-alanine (the C-terminal amino acid of the BSA molecule), but not L-aspartic acid (N-terminal amino acid), may account for the stimulator effectiveness of BSA.

Stimulation with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and its C-terminal amino acid L-alanine evokes spike activity from the "sugar" cell of the labellar chemosensilla in Protophormiu. The presence of ATP in the BSA solution strongly enhances this effect, but is pH-dependent. On the contrary, addition of ATP to the L-alanine solution inhibits the "sugar" cell response regardless of pH. Reception mechanisms for BSA and L-alanine are discussed.

recording techniques, we have monitored the antenna1 olfactory sensitivity, from the time of eclosion until complete egg maturation, of female blowflies (Phormiu regina) fed either a protein diet or a protein free one. The tested stimuli were swormlure-4 (SL-4) which is a potent lure for calliphorid flies, I-hexanol as a reference stimulus and air as a control. After taking the electroantennograms, egg and ovarian development were evaluated. Stimulation with SL-4 and 1-hexanol evoked electroantennograms increasing in amplitude with age regardless of whether or not flies were fed protein during the first 5 days of adult life. In the protein-fed flies eggs were fully developed whereas those of the no-protein group remained undeveloped. The peak olfactory sensitivity occurs at a time when the female fly begins to search for an oviposition substrate.

EFSA workshop «Risk assessment considerations for RNAi-based GM plants» 4-5 June 2014 Brussels, Belgium Wheeler et al. 2001. The Phylogeny of the Extant Hexapod Orders Evolution of the Insects. Grimaldi & Engel Drosophilids: 0.3% Towards the end of Drosophila dictatorship Drosophilids represent 0.3% of total described insect species Papers on Drosophilids represent 71% of total papers published on insect functional genomics (PubMed, 1980-2007) Drosophilids Papers on Drosophilids Brussels City Hall Tower, 96 m Papers on Drosophila: 68 m Drosophila: 20 cm

The mandibular gland secretion of the myrmicine ant, Myrmica brevinodis, was investigated and found to contain principally four components. Two of these components were major and two minor. The major components were identified as 3-octanone (1.6 pug/gland) and 3-octanol (0.7 pg/gland). Both compounds elicited alarm reactions in workers of M. brevinodis. The two minor components were identified as methyl-branched 3-octanones, but the position of the branching was not determined.

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) has shown remarkable range expansion over the past 10 years and invaded several new continents including Africa. Here we report results of a detailed assessment of acute high and low temperature survival ability and the plasticity thereof, to test the hypothesis that traits of the thermal niche have contributed to the species' invasion ability. We also assess life-stage-related variation of thermal tolerances to determine potential stage-related environmental sensitivity. The temperatures at which c. 20% of the population survived of B. dorsalis were determined to be -6.5°C and 42.7°C, respectively, when using 2 h exposures. Further, four life stages of B. dorsalis (egg, 3 rd instar larvae, pupae and adults) were exposed to high and low discriminating temperatures to compare their thermal survival rates. The egg stage was found to be the most resistant life stage to both high and low temperatures, since 44±2.3% survived the low and 60±4.2% survived the high discriminating temperature treatments respectively. Finally, the potential for adult hardening responses to mediate tolerance of extremes was also considered using a diverse range of acute conditions (using 2 h exposures to 15°C, 10°C and 5°C and 30°C, 35°C, 37°C and 39°C as hardening temperatures, and some treatments with and without recovery periods between hardening and discriminating temperature treatment). These showed that although some significant hardening responses could be detected in certain treatments (e.g. after exposure to 37°C and 39°C), the magnitude of this plasticity was generally low compared to two other wide-spread and more geographically-range-restricted con-familial species, Ceratitis capitata and C. rosa. In other words, Bactrocera dorsalis adults were unable to rapidly heat-or cold-harden to the same extent as the other Ceratitis species examined to date. These results suggest a narrower thermal niche in B. dorsalis compared to these Ceratitis species -in both basal and plastic terms -and suggests that its geographic distribution might be more restricted in consequence.

This paper describes non-hymenoptera insects which are a potential source of allergens for sensitive people. Described species can also be a source of allergens to animals. It also presents the possibility of onset of cross-reactivity to allergens of insects and other organisms. It was pointed out the impact of climate change on the migration of insects.

Thaumetopoea pityocampa, en una masa forestal de Pinus halepensis situada en la provincia de Valencia. La tasa de depredación supuso el 27.5% y afectó principalmente a las porciones basal y apical de cada muestra. Asimismo, se discuten las consecuencias que podría tener este comportamiento sobre la eficacia del complejo de ooparasitoides asociado al lepidóptero plaga.

Onemli bir lahana (Brassica oleraceae L.) zararlisi olan Mamestra brassicae (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)’nin biyoloji, zarar ve bulasiklik orani Erzurum’da 1999 ve 2000 yillarinda arastirilmistir. M. brassicae, kisi topragin 3-5 cm derinliginde pupa doneminde gecirmektedir. Ilk ergin cikisi, haziranin ilk haftasinin sonunda olmaktadir. Disiler, yumurtalarini ortalama 693 adet olarak lahana yapraklarinin alt yuzeyine birakmaktadirlar. Yumurta birakma suresi, 6-12 (8.4) gun surmektedir. Yumurtadan ilk larva cikisi haziran sonunda gorulmekte, cikan larvalar baslangicta yumurta kabuklariyla beslenmekte, daha sonra yapragin alt epidermisi ve parankima dokusuyla beslenmesini surdurmektedir. Besinci donem larva, lahananin gobek kismina girerek, burada beslenmektedir. Larva beslenme artiklari ve diskilari, lahana yapraklari arasinda gorulebilmektedir. Larva, bes gomlek degistirdikten sonra, agustos basindan itibaren toprakta pupa donemine girmektedir. M. brassicae, genellikle kislama...

LARVAL DEVELOPMENT AND METAMORPHOSIS Metamorphosis  Metamorphosis is defined as the change in the form of the organism due to the dramatic developmental reprogramming-change from completely different form that is larva to the adult.  This developmental reprogramming is generally seen in those animals where the post embryonic stages of an animal are different from that of the adult.  These post embryonic stages are called larvae. Direct and indirect development:  There are two types of developments in the development history of animals, direct and indirect. Direct development is without the larval stage whereas indirect development is with the larval stage.  Larva is the juvenile stage of the animal different from the adult in its habit and habitat thereby avoiding competition with the adults for the limited food resources available.  The change from larva to the adult can be both progressive or regressive: 1. It is called progressive when the simple larval structures transform to complex organization of adult (Example; Frog, insects). 2. Regressive metamorphosis or retrograde metamorphosis means the transformation from complex larva to simple degenerate adult as in Herdmania. This chapter includes the study of amphibian and insect metamorphosis as an example from chordates and non chordates respectively: I. Amphibian larva Amphibian larva is a fish like transparent and aquatic larva called tadpole Ecological, Morphological, Physiological metamorphic changes in amphibians (Metamorphosis in about 46 days in Indian frogs) 1. Ecological change Is transition from the aquatic to the terrestrial habitat. As a result there is change in the mode of locomotion, respiration, circulation and also in sensory system of the body. The larva changes from herbivore to carnivore. The change in locomotor pattern, respiratory structures and sensory system is due to the change in the physical properties of water and air. 2. Morphological change from larva to the adult is grouped separately as progressive, regressive and remodelling. These morphological changes are less marked in tailed amphibians or urodeles. A) Regressive changes are: 1) Resorption of tail and tail fin by autolysis. 2) Resorption of gills, closure of gill cleft and disappearance of prebranchial cavity. 3) Horny lining of jaws is shed. 4) Shortening of cloacal tube. 5) Reduction of some larval blood vessels

The differences in composition of defensive secretions between nymphs, adult males and adult females of Chinavia impicticornis ( ¼ Acrosternum impicticorne), Chinavia ubica ( ¼ Acrosternum ubicum), Euschistus heros, Dichelops melacanthus and Piezodorus guildinii (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) were analysed within and between species using compositional log-ratio statistics and canonical variates analysis. Differences in composition between nymphs, males and females were found for all species, as well as when all species were pooled. In particular, tetradecanal appears to be a predominantly nymphal compound in D. melacanthus, E. heros and P. guildinii. In the two Chinavia species 4-oxo-(E)-2-hexenal and an unknown compound were more dominant in nymphs. The interspecific analysis revealed a good separation of defensive compounds according to their taxonomic relationship. Thus, the two Chinavia species grouped together, with (E)-2-decenal and (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, contributing to this separation. The other three species also differed from each other, with (E)-2-octenal associated to D. melacanthus, (E)-2-hexenal to P. guildinii and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal and tetradecanal to E. heros. The pooled analysis of stage ignoring species revealed tetradecanal and 4-oxo-(E)-2-decenal (tentative identification) strongly associated to nymphs. Thus, there are predictable differences between stages, and many of the differences are conserved between species. Consideration of these differences could prove to be important in understanding stink bug-natural enemy interactions, and in optimising biocontrol efforts.

The role of the ant colony largely consists of non-reproductive tasks, such as foraging, tending brood, and defense. However, workers are vitally linked to reproduction through their provisioning of sexual offspring, which are produced annually to mate and initiate new colonies. Gynes (future queens) have size-associated variation in colony founding strategy (claustrality), with each strategy requiring different energetic investments from their natal colony. We compared the per capita production cost required for semi-claustral, facultative, and claustral gynes across four species of Pogonomyrmex harvester ants. We found that the claustral founding strategy is markedly expensive, costing approximately 70% more energy than that of the semi-claustral strategy. Relative to males, claustral gynes also had the largest differential investment and smallest size variation. We applied these investment costs to a model by that predicts founding strategy based on investment cost and foraging survivorship. The model predicts that non-claustral foundresses must survive the foraging period with a probability of 30-36% in order for a foraging strategy to be selectively favored. These results highlight the importance of incorporating resource investment at the colony level when investigating the evolution of colony founding strategies in ants.

Insects have evolved fine-tuned gustatory and post-ingestive physiological mechanisms that enable them to self-select an optimal composition of macronutrients. Their ability to forage optimally among multiple food sources and maximize fitness parameters depends on their ability not only to taste and perceive the nutritional value of potential foods but also to avoid deleterious components; the strength of such avoidance should reflect the severity of the perceived hazard. In German cockroaches (Blattella germanica), glucose aversion has evolved in some populations in response to anthropogenic selection with glucose-containing insecticidal baits. In four feeding treatments, we gave newly eclosed glucose-averse female cockroaches free choice to feed from two artificial, nutritionally complementary foods varying in protein and carbohydrate composition, with glucose or fructose as the sole carbohydrate source in either food. After 6days of feeding, we measured diet consumption and the l...

Incorporation of tritiated leucine, tyrosine and glucosamine into the integument of larval Drosophila melanogaster was followed by electron-microscope autoradiography. Tritiated leucine, tyrosine, and glucosamine were incorporated into the endocuticle by apposition, giving rise to a distinct band of label in the endocuticle at a level which depended on the time between labelling and fixation. The labelied amino acids, but not glucosamine, were also detected in the epicuticle and both above and below the distinct labelled band in the endocuticle. The results indicate that the epicuticle grows within the third instar by intussusception of new materials which are transported from the epidermal cells through the endocuticle to the epicuticle. Breakdown of cuticle which was radioactively labelled by feeding larvae tritiated precursors was also followed by autoradiography. The results indicate that the breakdown products from the old cuticle may be reutilized in the synthesis of new cuticle.

The moulting cycle and growth of the larval integument of Drosophila melanogaster has been studied by light and electron microscopy. Growth during the first, second and third larval instars is accompanied by 3.0-, 3.4-and 3.7-fold increases in surface area, respectively. Growth in surface area occurs continuously during the larval stages, with no detectable relationship to the moulting cycle. Measurements of the thickness of the cuticular layers show that the endocuticle grows in thickness by apposition and in surface area by stretching. The pre-apolytic epicuticle remains at fairly constant thickness during the increase in surface area, indicating that it grows by intussusception of new components. Post-apolytic epicuticle becomes thinner and increases in surface area by stretching. The epicuticle and pre-ecdysial endocuticle are traversed by filaments, but these do not penetrate the endocuticle secreted after ecdysis. We suggest that the filaments transport breakdown products from the old cuticle inward to the epidermis for reutilization. The growth and deposition of cuticle in two larval growth mutants, lethal (2) giant larvae and Chubby Tubby, involves mechanisms similar to those found in wild-type larvae, but in Chubby Tubby the endocuticle contains inclusions which are ultrastructurally similar to dense epicuticle.

usadas integralmente publicações científicas já publicadas (1), aceites para publicação (1) ou submetidas (3) para publicação, em revistas indexadas de circulação internacional (4) e num livro de editora científica internacional (1), os quais integram os capítulos da presente tese. Tendo os referidos trabalhos sido realizados em colaboração, o candidato esclarece que participou integralmente no planeamento, análise e discussão dos resultados e na elaboração de todos os trabalhos.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic technique was carried out in wings of nine different Pierid butterflies to deduce the functional groups and properties of cuticular hydrocarbons which play a pivotal role in exhibiting charismatic colour patterns, controlling body temperature, attracting potential mates and camouflaging against predators. There were three major types of hydrocarbons present in all butterfly wings including alkanes, alkenes and methyl hydrocarbons. The second predominant compounds found in the butterfly wing region include alkyl halides, alcohols and phenols. There were no significant differences in the functional groups among the wings of butterflies. FTIR analysis of nine different Pierid butterfly wings showed many relative sizes of peaks. There were no significant differences in the chemical composition of wings but the colour differences were observed among the nine different butterflies. It was inferred that not majorly due to the differences in the cuticular hydrocarbons and may be due to the presence of different microstructures like scales, ridges and grooves.

Galls are neoformed plant organs that develop following the reprogramming of host plant cells and tissues induced by yet-unknown triggers originating from foreign organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and insects (Oliveira and Isaias 2010; Harris and Pitzschke 2020). The gall-inducing insects can manipulate the host plant’s development, structure, and physiology for their own benefit gaining better nutrient supply and defense from biotic and abiotic factors (Oliveira et al. 2016). Among many changes, gall inducers often cause high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Isaias et al. 2015; Guedes et al. 2022), triggering the gall induction, devel- opment, and shape acquisition (Oliveira et al. 2014; Price et al. 1987; Stone and Schonrogge 2003). Being static, conspicuous, long-lasting, and irreplaceable, galls (i.e., gall inducers) are vulnerable to attack by a variety of natural enemies, such as other herbivores, predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. Gall defense is usually achieved through plant-derived structures and chemical profiles. In some cases, the gall-inducing insects protect the galls themselves (Aoki and Kurosu 2010; Crespi et al. 1997; Inbar 1998).

Parasitic castration is an adaptive strategy where parasites usurp the hosts' reproductive physiology to complete their life cycle. The alterations in the host traits vary in their magnitude, from subtle changes in the host morphophysiology and behaviour to the production of complex aberrant phenotypes, which often depend on the host gender. The strepsipteran macroparasite Xenos vesparum induces dramatic behavioural and physiological changes in its female host, the paper wasp Polistes dominula, while its effect on the male phenotype is largely unknown. In this study we investigated how a single X. vesparum parasite influences the functional morphology of P. dominula male reproductive apparatus. We performed morphometry and ultrastructure characterization of corpora allata, testes, seminal vesicles and accessory glands in parasitized and unparasitized males, and also in young and old males to control for the effect of age on the natural deterioration of these organs. Our results show that age significantly affects the development of male reproductive apparatus. A low parasite loadone parasite per host is the common prevalence in the fieldhas only a marginal impact on the reproductive morphology of P. dominula males, affecting quantitatively but not qualitatively the protein content of male accessory glands. Thus, in male P. dominula wasps, X. vesparum appears to behave as a true "parasite", in clear opposition to the role of "parasitoid" that it takes in female hosts where castration causes the reproductive death.

The cessation of juvenile hormone (JH) production is a key endocrine event that halts ovarian development and hence initiates diapause in females of the mosquito, Culex pipiens. The shutdown in endocrine activity of the corpora allata (CA), the source of JH, was manifested in the smaller size of CA in females reared under short daylengths (diapause) compared to those reared under long daylengths (nondiapause), as well as in low expression of the mRNA encoding allatotropin, the neuropeptide that promotes JH biosynthesis in the CA. Genes encoding both allatotropin and allatostatin were identified in C. pipiens, but only expression levels of allatotropin differed in the two types of females. Knockdown of allatotropin mRNA using RNA interference in females programmed for nondiapause resulted in a cessation of ovarian development akin to diapause. This arrest in development could be reversed with an application of JH. Our results thus suggest that suppression of allatotropin is a critical link in regulating the shutdown of the CA during diapause.

In this work, we characterized the activities of two classes of proteases and AcP during early embryogenesis of Periplaneta americana. AcP activity was first detected at day 6 and reached a maximum level at day 10 of development. Using phosphoamino acids, phosphatase activity was shown to be directed only against phosphotyrosine at day 6 while at day 10 it was also active against phosphoserine. In parallel, two classes of proteases were detected and located within yolk granules: a clan CA-cysteine protease, which was inhibited by E-64, insensitive to CA 074 and activated by acidic pH at day 3; and a neutral serine protease, which was inhibited by aprotinin at day 6. Assays of vitellin (Vt) degradation evidenced that incubations at neutral pH induced slight proteolysis, while the incubations at acidic pH did not result in Vt degradation. However, pre-incubations of Vt with AcP increased the levels of Vt acidic proteolysis and this could be inhibited by the addition of phosphatase inhibitors. On the other hand, the same pre-incubations showed no effects on the profile of degradation at neutral pH. We propose that AcP and cysteine protease cooperate to assure Vt breakdown during early embryogenesis of P. americana.

Despite being the main insect pest on soybean crops in the Americas, very few studies have approached the general biology of the lepidopteran Anticarsia gemmatalis and there is a paucity of studies with embryo formation and yolk mobilization in this species. In the present work, we identified an acid phosphatase activity in the eggs of A. gemmatalis (agAP) that we further characterized by means of biochemistry and cell biology experiments. By testing several candidate substrates, this enzyme proved chiefly active with phosphotyrosine; in vitro assays suggested a link between agAP activity and dephosphorylation of egg yolk phosphotyrosine. We also detected strong activity with endogenous and exogenous short chain polyphosphates (PolyP), which are polymers of phosphate residues involved in a number of physiological processes. Both agAP activity and PolyP were shown to initially concentrate in small vesicles clearly distinct from typically larger yolk granules, suggesting subcellular compartmentalization. As PolyP has been implicated in inhibition of yolk proteases, we performed in vitro enzymatic assays with a cysteine protease to test whether it would be inhibited by PolyP. This cysteine protease is prominent in Anticarsia egg homogenates. Accordingly, short chain PolyP was a potent inhibitor of cysteine protease. We thereby suggest that PolyP hydrolysis by agAP is a triggering mechanism of yolk mobilization in A. gemmatalis.

Giant hornets in the genus Vespa are apex predators that are known throughout Asia for their exceptional size and devastating group attacks on social insect colonies. The giant hornets include Vespa mandarinia, a well-studied and widespread temperate species, and Vespa soror, a poorly known sister species that is limited to subtropical and tropical regions of Southeast Asia. Both species have been recently documented on the west coast of North America, raising urgent questions about their potential impact in novel ecosystems. To better understand the biology of V. soror, we describe the nest architecture, caste morphology, and genetic structure of colonies collected in Vietnam. Comparisons of colony metrics between the two giant hornet species suggest important differences that are likely a consequence of the relatively warmer climate in which V. soror occurs. Like V. mandarinia, V. soror constructs large, underground nests of partially enveloped horizontal combs. However, compared ...

In spite of the growing number of in vitro studies conducted with the gypsy moth there are no reports which describe its hemolymph composition. For this reason we have conducted a quantitative analysis of the osmolytes in the hemolymph of the fifth-instar gypsy moth larva reared on a wheat-germ diet. The osmotic pressure of hemolymph is 313 mOsm/kg water and the hemolymph pH is 6.6. The dominant inorganic cations are potassium (29.1 mM), magnesium (25.9 mM), calcium (6.8 mM) and sodium (5.0 mM). The dominant inorganic anions are chloride (14.9 mM), sulfate (12.3 mM), and phosphate (5.7 mM). The electrical conductivity of the hemolymph (4.52 ms/cm) is equivalent to the conductivity of a 98.8 mOsm/kg water NaCl solution. Since the sum of the measured hemolymph cations and anions approaches this osmolality, more than 200 mOsm/kg water of hemolymph solutes are non-electrolytes. Among these non-electrolytes we have identified 18 amino acids (112.0 mM), trehalose (21.1 mM), glucose (2.4 mM) and urea (4.8 mM). Organic solutes such as arginine (0.9 mM), histidine (3.9 mM), lysine (13.9 mM), tyrosine (2.5 mM), aspartic acid (0.3 mM), glutamic acid (1.6 mM), organic phosphates (29.6 mM) and uric acid (0.2 mM) are expected to exist in ionized forms at the hemolymph pH. Together the identified electrolytes and non-electrolytes account for nearly 85% of the measured hemolymph osmolality.

Two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) methods were used to explore conductive transport pathways in principal cells, the dominant cell type in Malpighian tubules of the yellow fever mosquito. The basolateral membrane of principal cells had a voltage (V bl ) of -85.1 mV in 49 principal cells under control conditions. Measures of the input resistance R pc together with membrane fractional resistance yielded estimates of the conductance of the basolateral membrane (g bl = 1.48 µS) and the apical membrane (g a = 3.13 µS). K + channels blocked by barium accounted for 0.94 µS of g bl . Estimates of transference numbers yielded the basolateral membrane Na + conductance of 0.24 µS, leaving 0.30 µS (20%) of g bl unaccounted. The secretagogue db-cAMP (0.1 mM), a known activator of the basolateral membrane Na + conductance, significantly depolarized V bl to -65.0 mV and significantly increased g bl from 1.48 µS to 2.47 µS. The increase was blocked with amiloride (1 mM), a known blocker of epithelial Na + transport. The inhibition of metabolism with di-nitrophenol significantly depolarized V bl to -9.7 mV and significantly increased R pc from 391.6 k⍀ to 2612.5 k⍀. Similar results were obtained with cyanide, but it remains unclear whether the large increases in R pc stem from the uncoupling of epithelial cells and/or the shutdown of conductive transport pathways in basolateral and apical membranes. Our results indicate that the apical membrane of principal cells is more than twice as conductive as the basolateral membrane. Partial ionic conductances suggest the rate-limiting step for transepithelial Na + secretion at the basolateral membrane.

Three methods to measure the transepithelial voltage were evaluated in isolated Malpighian tubules of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypfi. In method I the lumen-to-bath voltage (VT,,) was measured in isolated perfused tubules through a perfusion pipette lodged in the tubule lumen. Measured voltages were exclusively lumen-positive. 46.0 k 1.7 mV, x + SEM. n = 185. In method II the voltage (V,>,,) was measured in secreting tubules as the voltage between the secreted fluid droplet and the Ringer bath. This voltage measurement yielded positive and negative values, on average positive, 10.5 f 2.8 mV, n = 108. Both measurements are supposedly indirect indicators of the transepithelial potential, based on the assumption that the measurements are of open circuit voltages, that is, there are no closed circuit paths over which the transepithelial voltage could be divided. In fact, there are such paths in the oil-bathed tubule segment of method II. Analysis of the measuring circuit in method II reveals (I) the peritubular water film to affect the amplitude of the measured voltage, and (2) the axial lumen resistance and the lateral resistance of the epithelial wall to affect the amplitude and the polarity of the measured voltages. This conclusion is supported by method III where voltage is measured in secreting tubules via a microelectrode impaling the tubule lumen. The microelectrode voltage measurements (VT,,,) are always lumen-positive as in method I even though method II yields negative voltages (I',,,) at the same time.

Urine formation in the yellow fever mosquito begins by secretion of Na, K, Cl and water in the distal, blind-ended portions of five Malpighian tubules. The tubules appear structurally similar. To answer the question whether the tubules are also functionally similar, the transport activities of all five distal Malpighian tubules in each of eight mosquitoes were evaluated in vitro by measuring the rates of transepithelial fluid secretion and the concentrations of Na, K and Cl in secreted fluid. Two-way analysis of variance revealed no differences between the functions of distal tubules in a single mosquito but highly significant differences between distal tubules from different mosquitoes. To confirm these results we repeated the experiment in mosquitoes placed 05 Na and K diets. Distal tubules isolated from mosquitoes 05 the Na and K diet respectively secreted significantly more Na and K than those of mosquitoes on the control diet. Two-way analysis of variance of the data showed again 50 significant differences between tubules in a single mosquito but significant differences between mosquitoes. We conclude that the five distal Malpighian tubules present in the yellow fever mosquito are functionally homogeneous. They display the properties of a functional unit that responds in a unified fashion to meet the salt and water problems of the animal.

In spite of the growing number of in vitro studies conducted with the gypsy moth there are no reports which describe its hemolymph composition. For this reason we have conducted a quantitative analysis of the osmolytes in the hemolymph of the fifth-instar gypsy moth larva reared on a wheat-germ diet. The osmotic pressure of hemolymph is 313 mOsm/kg water and the hemolymph pH is 6.6. The dominant inorganic cations are potassium (29.1 mM), magnesium (25.9 mM), calcium (6.8 mM) and sodium (5.0 mM). The dominant inorganic anions are chloride (14.9 mM), sulfate (12.3 mM), and phosphate (5.7 mM). The electrical conductivity of the hemolymph (4.52 ms/cm) is equivalent to the conductivity of a 98.8 mOsm/kg water NaCl solution. Since the sum of the measured hemolymph cations and anions approaches this osmolality, more than 200 mOsm/kg water of hemolymph solutes are non-electrolytes. Among these non-electrolytes we have identified 18 amino acids (112.0 mM), trehalose (21.1 mM), glucose (2.4 mM) and urea (4.8 mM). Organic solutes such as arginine (0.9 mM), histidine (3.9 mM), lysine (13.9 mM), tyrosine (2.5 mM), aspartic acid (0.3 mM), glutamic acid (1.6 mM), organic phosphates (29.6 mM) and uric acid (0.2 mM) are expected to exist in ionized forms at the hemolymph pH. Together the identified electrolytes and non-electrolytes account for nearly 85% of the measured hemolymph osmolality.

Nodulation is the first, and quantitatively predominant, cellular defense reaction to bacterial infection in insects and other invertebrates. Inhibition of eicosanoid biosynthesis in true armyworms, Pseudaletia unipuncta, and black cutworms, Agrotis ipsilon, immediately prior to intrahemocoelic injections with heat-killed preparations of the bacterium, Serratia marcescens, severely impaired the nodulation response. Five eicosanoid biosynthesis inhibitors, including dexamethasone (a phospholipase A 2 inhibitor), indomethacin, ibuprofen (cyclooxygenase inhibitors), phenidone (dual lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase inhibitor) and eicosatetraynoic acid (an arachidonic acid analog that inhibits all arachidonic acid metabolism) severely reduced nodulation in infected insects. The dexamethasone effects were reversed by treating true armyworms with arachidonic acid immediately after infection. In addition to these pharmacological findings, we demonstrate that an eicosanoid biosynthesis system is present in these insects. Arachidonic acid is present in fat body phospholipids at about 0.4% of total phospholipid fatty acids. Fat body expressed a phospholipase A 2 that can hydrolyze arachidonic acid from the sn-2 position of cellular phospholipids. Fat body preparations were competent to biosynthesize prostaglandins, of which PGE 2 was the major product. These findings support the hypothesis that eicosanoids mediate cellular immune reactions in insects.

Cooling of larvae of G. mellonella in the final instar results in a serious disturbance in their later development. Such disturbance concerns the transition to additional larval stages, loss of the ability to spin cocoons, and the formation of individuals incapable of continuing normal development. The kind of disturbances and their degree depends on the age of cooled larvae and the cooling time applied. Cooling of l-and ?-day-old larvae results in their transition to additional larval stages, while cooling larvae aged from 3 to 7 days of the duration of instar VII causes the formation of a large number of individuals incapable of further development. The loss of the capacity to spin cocoons depends solely on the cooling time applied.

Cooling of larvae of G. mellonella in the final instar results in a serious disturbance in their later development. Such disturbance concerns the transition to additional larval stages, loss of the ability to spin cocoons, and the formation of individuals incapable of continuing normal development. The kind of disturbances and their degree depends on the age of cooled larvae and the cooling time applied. Cooling of l-and ?-day-old larvae results in their transition to additional larval stages, while cooling larvae aged from 3 to 7 days of the duration of instar VII causes the formation of a large number of individuals incapable of further development. The loss of the capacity to spin cocoons depends solely on the cooling time applied.

Implantation of brains from chilled Galleriu larvae into first-day last-instar host larvae results in a higher incidence of extra-larval moults than in control animals receiving unchilled brains. The ability of the implanted brains to induce an extra-larval moult depends on the number of implanted brains, age of larvae at chilling and the time interval between cooling and removal of the brain. The implanted brains must be present in the host larva for at least 2 days in order to induce an extra-larval moult. The brain taken from a chilled larva has no et&t on the activity of the host brain. Application of fluoromevalonate (FMev) to insects which received the brains taken from chilled larvae suppresses the extra-larval moult responses, while implantation of brains from chilled larvae treated with FMev has no effect on the incidence of extra-larval moults produced by the recipients. The possibility that the chilled brain of GuNeria larvae produces a hormonal factor that regulates corpora allata activity (allatotropin) is discussed.

meffoneh larvae reared in a light: dark (LD) 12: 12 regime terminate feeding and pupate 1 day earlier than insects kept in constant darkness. Rearing conditions have no influence on the body weight attained at pupation. In both rearing conditions body weights attained by females were greater on the average by 50% than the body weights of males. In LD 12: 12 all distinctive changes in the juvenile hormone titre and juvenile hormone esterase activity occurred 1 day earlier than in constant darkness. The peak value of juvenile hormone esterase activity was by 22% higher in insects reared under light conditions as compared with animals kept in constant darkness. Last-instar G. mellonellu larvae reared in constant darkness were more sensitive to cooling and juvenile hormone analogue application. The chilling-induced elevation of juvenile hormone titre was also higher in constant darkness. The chilling-induced elevation of the brain allatotropic activity was not influenced by rearing conditions (brain activity measured as the number of extra-larval moults produced by hosts implanted with chilled brains). However, rearing in an LD 12: 12 regime decreases the host sensitivity to implanted brains.

Injury to l-day old, last-instar Galleria mellonellu larvae delays pupation and causes dramatic changes in the neurohormonal system. Injury increases brain allatotropic activity and consequently juvenile hormone titre. Appearances of the second, smaller peak of juvenile hormone and haemolymph juvenile hormone esterases are delayed by 1 day. Activity of juvenile hormone esterases is 40% higher in the injured insects as compared with controls. Injury to the host larvae, which were subsequently implanted with brains taken from donors treated in various ways, (injured, chilled or injured at the termination of cooling) results in increased host sensitivity to each kind of implant. The mechanisms involved in the injury response of Galleria larvae are discussed.

Insects were the initial organisms to develop the ability to fly using their own power, more than 400 million years ago. The development of flying in insects has been a crucial advancement that has enabled them to expand into the most diverse collection of organisms on the planet, inhabiting almost every land and freshwater environment. This review article consolidates current understanding of the evolutionary process of insect flight, encompassing subjects such as the fossil record, functional morphology, developmental genetics, and ecological influences that have contributed to the variety of flying insects. We emphasise recent breakthroughs and identify areas requiring additional investigation to achieve a more comprehensive comprehension of this intriguing evolutionary process.

Confocal laser-scanning microscopy was used to carry out a comparative study of the immunostaining for three families of neuropeptides, viz., allatostatin-A (AS-A), allatostatin-C (AS-C) and allatotropin (AT), in adult female mosquitoes of Aedes aegypti and Anopheles albimanus. The specific patterns of immunostaining for each of the three peptides were similar in both species. The antisera raised against AT, AS-A, and AS-C revealed intense immunoreactivity in the cells of each protocerebral lobe of the brain and stained cells in each of the ventral ganglia and neuronal projections innervating various thoracic and abdominal tissues. Only the AS-A antiserum labeled immunoreactive endocrine cells in the midgut. The distribution of the peptides supports the concept that they play multiple regulatory roles in both species.

The concentrations of three storage proteins (SL-1,SL-2 and SL-3, hexamers of 70-80 kDa subunits) and two biliverdin-binding proteins (BP-A and BP-B, dimers of 165 kDa) in the haemolymph and fat body during larval and pupal development of Spodoptera litura were determined by immunodiffusion tests using polyclonal antisera. SL-1 and SL-2 (methioninerich) first appeared in the haemolymph of one-day-old sixth (final) instar larvae, prominently increased in the haemolymph during the later feeding period and were almost totally sequestered by the fat body after gut purge. SL-3 (arylphorin) was first detected in the haemolymph during the molting period to the final larval ecdysis, increased in concentration throughout the entire feeding period of the final larval instar and was partly sequestered by the fat body several hours later than the other storage proteins. BP-A showed nearly the same pattern in the haemolymph as SL-3: BP-B increased during feeding period and decreased during molting period and attained a maximum level during the penultimate larval instar, however its concentration decreased considerably and remained low in the final larval instar. BP-A was partly and BP-B was almost totally sequestered by the fat body 8 h after sequestration of SL-1 and SL-2, rendering the fat body blue in colour. These facts suggest an additional function of biliverdin-binding proteins as amino acid storage proteins and the results show a differential uptake mechanism for these proteins by the fat body.

The present research work dealt with the evaluation of toxicity of chlorinated, organophosphorylated and pyrophosphated oils, against Tribolium castaneum. Kerosene, castor, taramera (Eruca sativa seeds oil) and turpentine oils were chlorinated, phosphorylated and converted into pyrophosphate to evaluate their toxicity against red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Chlorinated kerosene, castor, taramera and turpentine oils showed LC % values of 6.5, 6.0, 4.5 and 5.7%, respectively against Tribolium castaneum adults. While 50 the phosphorylated kerosene, castor, taramera and turpentine oils showed LC % values of 4.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 50 3.7 %, respectively against Tribolium castaneum adults. Pyrophosphorylated kerosene, castor, taramera and turpentine oils showed LC % values of 2.3, 1.9, 1.9 and 2.0 %, respectively.

The telepathic communication network of Interxenopoem subverts conventional notions of stability, authority, and meaning, functioning through what can be termed an "erotic semiotics"—a system of excess rather than utility. The metabolic interplay of bacterial swarms, characterized by horizontal gene transfer and quorum sensing, mirrors Bataillean eroticism as a movement beyond selfhood. In this context, bacterial conjugation is framed as an ultimate transgressive act, a dissolution of cellular boundaries into an informational flow that resists rational containment. The microbial intelligence at play within Interxenopoem thus represents an epistemic rupture, a sovereign space where work and mastery collapse into the exuberant play of forces. Through Bataille’s thought, this bacterial mode of existence challenges human-centric individuality, situating identity within a porous, ever-mutating continuum. The oscillation between structured organization and chaotic communication within these microbial ecologies reflects the instability of the Bataillean subject, whose rationality is continually undone by internal transgression. This study further situates the telepathic networks of Interxenopoem within the traditions of mysticism and negative theology, where the self dissolves into an unbounded presence akin to divine absence. The telepathic communication network functions not merely as a model of collective intelligence but as a radical Bataillean sovereignty—an inhuman, erotic philosophy of communication where identity and meaning are perpetually undone. In the cellular city of Interxenopoem, life itself becomes an expenditure, an ecstatic movement beyond preservation, mirroring the microbial dialogues that shape the unseen architectures of existence.

The present work reports the detection of a new fruit fly species in Sauternes vineyards (Aquitaine region, France): Drosophila suzukii. Methods and results: Drosophila were collected in two Sauternes vineyards, at the beginning of the harvest time in 2011, using food traps with apple molasses baits. The surveys led to the detection of the invasive species D. suzukii. In addition, rotting bunches were randomly taken in each vineyard but no D. suzukii emerged from them. The Drosophila community found in traps and on bunches was dominated by D. melanogaster. D. suzukii, although present in the vineyard agroecosystem of Sauternes, did not cause any noticeable damage in 2011. However, population monitoring should be continued. Significance and impact of the study: This first occurrence report of the invasive species D. suzukii in the Bordeaux vineyard should motivate further surveys of this potential pest of green berries.