Effects of kinetin on biological parameters and hemocytes of Achroia grisella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The effects of the cytokinin hormone kinetin on the life history traits and hemocytes of the smaller wax moth Achroia grisella F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were examined in order to better understand the physiological impacts of plant growth regulators on insects. Based on the obtained results, it was found that kinetin did not lead to significant changes in larval mortality, development time, morphological disorders and egg fertility. Female and male longevity were almost unchanged when early instars were fed with a kinetin-added diet, and it tended to be higher for males when kinetin was applied at the egg stage, especially at 5 mg/L. The weight of females decreased significantly with 25 and 3000 mg/L of kinetin and that of males with 5 mg/L. The most striking effect was a considerable decline in the number of progeny, particularly at 400 and 3000 mg/L, as compared to the control. The injection of kinetin caused noticeable decreases in the number of hemocytes in the circulation at 3 and 24 h. This work presents the first evidence that kinetin adversely affects the development and the hemocyte counts of an economically-important host species, A. grisella.