Short-and long-term effects of proallatotoxin (Ethoxyprecocene II) on Rhodnius prolixus females

Abstract

Oogenesis and oviposition can be inhibited in female of Rhodnius prolixus by means of short-term experiment (first reproductive cycle) of a single dose of ethoxyprecocene II given by ingestion. The inhibition is dose-dependent as measured by oocyte growth, egg maturation and egg deposition. In a long-term experiment (second and third reproductive cycles) egg production and oogenesis can be partially or totally re-established by subsequent blood meals without ethoxyprecocene II. These findings suggest that in female R. prolixus, damage caused to corpus allatum by ethoxyprecocene II, in certain cases, is not irreversible.

Invasion speeds of Triatoma dimidiata, vector of Chagas disease: An application of orthogonal polynomials method

“…Garcia et al (1987) indicate that Precocene and Azadirachtin are effective inhibitors of molting and reproduction in R. prolixus; however, they mention that the time of application is critical and only applications of these compounds early in the inter-molting period cause their effects in nymphs. In general Proallatotoxins, and particularly Precocenes, reveal significant effects on feeding, molting cycle (inducing precocious metamorphosis and ecdysial stasis), and reproduction in R. prolixus, apparently based on the corpus allatum cytotoxic effect and on the ecdysteroid biosynthesis in prothoracic glands and ovaries (Azambuja and Garcia, 1987). Finally, juvenile-hormone mimics tend to be highly specific resulting in an unattractively small market for commercial products (Patterson and Schwarz, 1977) as cited in (Schofield, 1985).…”