›› 2005, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (2): 155-160.doi:

• RESEARCH PAPERS •     Next Articles

Influences of flight on energetic reserves and juvenile hormone synthesis by corpora allata of the oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker)

LI Ke-Bin1,2, CAO Ya-Zhong1*, LUO Li-Zhi1, GAO Xi-Wu2, YIN Jiao1, HU Yi1   

  1. Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
  • Online:2005-07-10 Published:2005-11-20

Abstract: The energetic reserves, juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis by corpora allata and breakdown of indirect flight muscles of the migratory oriental armyworm moth, Mythimna separata(Walker), as influenced by tethered flight at different days were assayed in the laboratory. The regeneration of  energetic reserves of the moths flown for 12 hours on the 1st day after emergence was significantly higher than the unflown ones. The energetic reserves of the treatments flown for 12 hours on the 3rd day after emergence were lower than that of the control, but the difference was not significant. Moths flown for 12 hours on the 5th day after emergence displayed lower energetic reserves than that of the control throughout the test period. Differences in JH biosynthesis rates in female moths flown on different days after emergence were confirmed by the radiochemical assay. JH biosynthesis rates in female moths flown on the 1st day was higher than that of the control after 36 hours, and then underwent a sharp increase, peaked after 108 hours. On the 5th day after emergence, JH biosynthesis rates in flown females were lower than that of the control, but not significantly. The flight muscle of female flown 12 hours on the 1st day after emergence degenerated prior to that of the control. Therefore, the 1st to 3rd day in adult armyworm could be considered to be the critical period for activation of the corpora allata.

Key words: Mythimna separata, flight, energetic reserves, corpora allata, juvenile hormone