Effects of juvenile hormone analogue (methoprene) and 20-hydroxyecdysone on reproduction in Polygonia c-aureum (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in relation to adult diapause

Abstract

We investigated the effects of juvenile hormone analogue (methoprene) and 20-hydroxyecdysone on female and male reproduction in a nymphalid butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum. This butterfly has a facultative adult diapause controlled by the corpora allata and brain. Methoprene seems to terminate reproductive diapause, although transplantation experiments indicate that the activity of the corpora allata does not affect male mating behavior Endo (Dev Growth Differ 15:1-10, 1973a), suggesting that the brain may be involved in diapause. We found that exposure to methoprene promoted the development of ovaries and of the male accessory glands and simplex. On the other hand, exposure to 20-hydroxyecdysone did not promote the development of female and male reproductive organs and eupyrene sperm movement from the testis to the duplex in the adult stage. Ecdysteroid titer in both sexes was consistently low in adults. These results suggest that imaginal diapause is largely regulated by juvenile hormone in this butterfly.

Artificial selection on storage protein 1 possibly contributes to increase of hatchability during silkworm domestication

“…We identified 302 common genes in the two sets of DEGs. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that these common DEGs were significantly enriched in pathways related to cell proliferation, such as ECM-receptor interaction and folate biosynthesis, as well as the hormone synthesis pathway, which is important in adult ovary development and female production [26, 27] (Fig 4B). Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that the common genes were enriched in reproduction related biological processes, such as chorion-containing eggshell formation (Fig 4B).…”

Field and Laboratory Studies on the Ecology, Reproduction, and Adult Diapause of the Asian Comma Butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

“…Adult diapause of female P. c-aureum butterflies is characterized by suppression of oogenesis and reproductive accessory glands [109,110]. In males, the development of accessory gland and simplex is suppressed under diapausing conditions (a short photoperiod and lower temperature) [42]. In addition, copulation is suppressed in diapausing butterflies of both sexes [111], and all female butterflies used in this experiment were virgin.…”

“…Female butterflies with greenish or green oocytes were considered to be non-diapausing, whereas butterflies with transparent or white oocytes were considered to be in diapause. In males, diapause is defined to have underdeveloped accessory gland and simplex [42], which produce spermatophoral substances and not transferred to females due to suppression of mating. Mating occurred mainly during the earlier end of the latter half of the photophase under laboratory conditions at 21 °C.…”

“…In D. plexippus , a sperm activator substance is contained in the simplex [41]. The mechanism controlling development of accessory glands and simplex is probably dependent on the activity of corpora allata, which is a juvenile hormone [42].…”

Effects of the juvenile hormone mimic NC-184 on the development of the reproductive organs and mating behaviour of nymphs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

“…On the other hand, in the South American fruit fl y, Anastrepha frateculus (Wiedemann), treatment with methoprene accelerate sexual maturation of males, but not the enhancement of mating in males close to sexual maturation, suggesting methoprene might act as a pheromone (Bachmann et al, 2017). In the Asian comma butterfl y, Polygonia aureum L., transplantation of active corpora allata into adult butterfl ies in diapause does not induce males to copulate (Endo, 1973), although methoprene or active corpora allata promotes reproductive development in both sexes (Hiroyoshi et al, 2017). Apparently, JH is irrelevant to mating in this case.…”