Entomology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Entomology, including details on insects, parasites, diseases. | ||||||||
|
Multi-year survival of sugarbeet root maggot (Tetanops myopaeformis) larvae in cold storage.Chirumamilla A, Yocum GD, Boetel MA, Dregseth RJ Department of Entomology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105, USA. To test the hypothesis that long-term survival of sugarbeet root maggot in storage is facilitated by larvae undergoing prolonged diapause, respiration and gene expression patterns of field-collected diapausing larvae were compared with those of 1-, 2-, and 5-year laboratory-stored larvae. Additional assessments were made on post-storage survival, emergence, and reproductive fitness of stored larvae. Respirometry, carried out at 5 and 20 degrees C revealed no differences among respiration rates of initially diapausing and long-term stored larvae. A 15 degrees increase in temperature elevated respiration in both diapausing and stored larvae, with levels of CO(2) release ranging between 8- and 14-fold higher at 20 degrees C than at 5 degrees C. Similarly, 6-10-fold increases in O(2) consumption levels were observed at the higher temperature. A transcript with sequence similarity to the fat body protein 2 (Fbp2) gene was highly expressed in diapausing larvae, and trace levels were expressed in some samples of 1-year stored larvae. However, no expression was detected in 2- and 5-year stored larvae. Survival and emergence studies of stored larvae revealed mixed populations of diapausing (i.e., the 5-17% of larvae that did not pupate) and post-diapausing (62-84% of larvae pupated) insects, with a high incidence of pupation (62%) and emergence (47%), even after 4 years in cold storage. Therefore, extended survival of Tetanops myopaeformis larvae in long-term cold storage is facilitated by two mechanisms, with a majority of larvae in post-diapause quiescence and a smaller fraction in a state of prolonged diapause. Published 18 April 2008 in J Insect Physiol, 54(4): 691-9.
© 2005-2011 Entomology Research Today. All Rights Reserved. |
| ||||||
