Open AccessThe fate of haemoglobin in Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera) and other blood-sucking arthropods
Author(s) -
V. B. Wigglesworth
Publication year - 1943
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series b, biological sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9193
pISSN - 0080-4649
DOI - 10.1098/rspb.1943.0010
Subject(s) - rhodnius prolixus , reduviidae , hemolymph , hemiptera , rhodnius , nymph , yolk , pigment , biology , anatomy , lumen (anatomy) , zoology , andrology , insect , chemistry , botany , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , organic chemistry
InRhodnius most of the haemoglobin ingested is broken down in the lumen of the gut to protohaematin which is excreted unchanged. But a small amount is absorbed and circulates in the haemolymph as kathaemoglobin (parahaematin). This is taken up by the salivary glands where it appears as a cherry-red pigment with properties similar to haemalbumin. Blood pigment is also transferred to the yolk of the eggs and becomes concentrated in the stomach of the newly hatched nymph as a bright red fluid (parahaematin). In the next few days most of this is digested in the gut to give protohaematin; some is transferred to the salivary glands to give rise to their usual pigment.