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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Insect Genetics and Biochemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #124948
Title: EFFECT OF AGE, DIET AND DIAPAUSE ON VITELLOGENIN AND VITELLIN CONCENTRATIONS IN THE TWOSPOTTED STINK BUG, PERILLUS BIOCULATUS (HETEROPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE)

Author
item Adams, Terrance
item Filipi, Patricia
item Yi, Shuxia

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/12/2002
Publication Date: 4/1/2002
Citation: Adams, T.S., Filipi, P.A., Yi, S. 2002. Effect of age, diet and diapause on vitellogenin and vitellin concentrations in the twospotted stink bug, Perillus bioculatus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Journal of Insect Physiology. 48(4):477-486.

Interpretive Summary: Two spotted stinkbugs can be used in augmentative releases to control the Colorado potato beetle. Large scale rearing for field releases requires an inexpensive artificial diet. The information obtained from this study gives us a better understanding of the dynamics of vitellogenin production and the importance of diet in ovarian development. Artificial diets can be evaluated by placing adults on test diets from emergence and holding for 3 days. Blood samples are taken and tested for vitellogenin with antibodies (ELISA). If the diet-fed insects have significantly lower vitellogenin levels than the prey-fed controls, then the test diet is inadequate.

Technical Abstract: Vitellogenic oocytes from Perillus bioculatus have two native vitellins, Vt1 and Vt2, with molecular weights of 577 and 350 kDa, respectively. Three vitellogenins, Vg1, Vg2 and Vg3, are observed in the hemolymph and have molecular weights of 745, 623 and 438 kDa, respectively. Vt2 was purified with preparative electrophoresis and polyclonal antibodies to Vt2 were built in rabbits. Anti-Vt2 reacted with Vt1, Vt2, Vg1, Vg2 and Vg3, but not to male hemolymph. Vitellogenesis starts at 2.4 days after emergence with the first batch of eggs formed by 7.7 days. During this 5.3 day period, the ovaries of a single female incorporate 1833 uG of vitellogenin to form vitellin indicating that the female is making vitellogenin at an average rate of 14.4 uG/h. Vitellogenin levels start to increase in females 2.5 days after emergence and reached 17.8 uG/uL by 5.5 days. After 5.5 days vitellogenin levels fluctuated between 9.7 and 19.9 uG/uL. Females in diapause did not form any discernable ovarian follicles and had vitellogenin concentrations that were 0.005 times those found in 28.5 day old controls. When insects were maintained on a liver- based artificial diet, vitellogenin levels were significantly lower than the controls at all sample times to the time the experiment was discontinued at 11.5 days. Vitellogenin levels varied from 0.026 uG/uL to 6.703 uG/uL in insects given the artificial diet. Treating insects with 1 uG of priproxyfen, a juvenile hormone analog (JHA), elevated vitellogenin levels significantly from 34.9 nG/uL in diet-fed controls to 198.8 nG/uL in those treated with JHA, but this was still about .01 times the levels found in prey-fed P. bioculatus suggesting that diet-fed females are lacking essential nutrients for vitellogenin production.