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Precocene is not a specific antigonadotropic agent in adult female Aedes aegypti
Author(s) -
KELLY THOMAS J.,
FUCHS MORTON S.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1978.tb00162.x
Subject(s) - vitellogenesis , biology , aedes aegypti , blood meal , corpus allatum , yolk , medicine , endocrinology , juvenile hormone , meal , insect , follicular phase , blood sucking , oogenesis , larva , physiology , zoology , hormone , oocyte , ecology , microbiology and biotechnology , embryo , food science
. In the mosquito, Aedes aegypti , other workers have shown that prior to blood‐feeding a pre‐vitellogenic period ensues manifested by the growth and differentiation of ovarian follicles. This results in resting stage follicles which will then complete ovarian development after the blood‐meal. Allatectomy of newly emerged females prevents follicles from reaching their resting stage and such follicles do not undergo subsequent vitellogenesis after blood‐feeding. Precocene II, a plant substance which effectively prevents ovarian development in Oncopeltus fasciatus by causing the irreversible degeneration of the corpus allatum, was applied to newly emerged mosquitoes, and at various times after blood‐feeding. Sublethal doses of precocene applied 1 h after adult emergence had no effect on pre‐vitellogenic follicular development and did not prevent yolk deposition after the blood‐meal. Precocene applied after blood‐feeding had two major effects. When administered early, it inhibited trypsin synthesis and retarded ovarian maturation. Animals exposed to it later, exhibited abnormal oviposition. It is proposed that precocene II does not act as an antigonadotropic agent in adult Aedes aegypti , but that it does induce a general toxic state in treated animals.