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Caffeine causes severe retardation of growth and development and high mortality of larvae Telmatoscopus albipunctatus. In general, sensitivity to caffeine is inversely proportional to the age of the treated larvae. Adults originating from treated larvae show lower fertility. Treatment of pupae results in elongated abdomens, abnormal wings and reduced fertility in adults. Caffeine also affects adversely polytenization of chromosomes. It is suggested that effects on larval growth and polytenization of chromosomes are due to retardation of DNA synthesis. Other possible mechanisms of action of caffeine are discussed. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG WIRKUNGEN VON KOFFEIN AUF WACHSTUM UND METAMORPHOSE DER SCHMETTERLINGSMÜCKE TELMATOSCOPUS ALBIPUNCTATUS (DIPTERA, PSYCHODIDAE) Koffein verursacht starke Verzögerung von Wachstum und Entwicklung sowie hohe Mortalität der Larven von Telmatoscopus albipunctatus. Im allgemeinen ist die Empfindlichkeit gegenüber Koffein umgekehrt proportional zum Alter der behandelten Larven. Adulte, die als Larven damit behandelt wurden, zeigen verminderte Fertilität. Behandlung von Puppen ergibt Adulte mit verlängertem Abdomen, anormalen Flügeln und verminderter Fertilität. Koffein beeinflußt auch die Polytänisierung der Chromosomen ungünstig. Es wird angenommen, daß die Beeinflussung des Larvenwachstums und der Polytänisierung der Chromosomen zurückzuführen ist auf verzögerte DNS‐Synthese. Es werden sodann andere mögliche Mechanismen der Wirkung des Koffeins diskutiert.

By using the techniques of ligation of the larvae (brain and endocrine glands extirpation) and salivary gland implantation, the hormonal dependence of the activity of certain puffs of Rhynchosciara was investigated. Our results have shown that the puffing behaviour--activation and deactivation--varies according to the developmental stage in which the larvae were ligated. When the larvae were ligated just before the drastic changes in the puffing pattern, which occur prior to pupation, these changes fail to occur. When the larvae were ligated after the onset of these changes we have observed: a) some of the puffs active at the time of the ligature regress promptly, earlier than their normal timing observed in controls; b) others remain active indefinitely and c) there are still some which regress accordingly to the normal timing. The puff B2 which behaves as those in b was double checked by means of implantation experiments. Salivary glands which had puff B2 at its maximum expansion were implanted into younger larvae and that puff also remained active in the body cavity of these larvae. Hypotheses to explain the results obtained are discussed.

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