QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by TRUMAN, J. W. Articles by ENDO, P. T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by TRUMAN, J. W. Articles by ENDO, P. T.

Journal of Experimental Biology 61,47-55 (1974)
Published by Company of Biologists 1974

Physiology of Insect Ecdysis: Neural and Hormonal Factors Involved in Wing-Spreading Behaviour of Moths

JAMES W. TRUMAN ¹ and PAUL T. ENDO ²

¹ The Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138; Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
² The Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138; University of Santa Barbara Medical School, Santa Barbara, California 93106

1. In the tobacco hornworm, wing spreading involves a stereotyped series of movements which take 74 min to complete and which include two components, wing folding and wing inflation.

2. Moths decapitated at the moment of eclosion show neither wing inflation nor wing folding. If decapitation is delayed until 5 sec after emergence, then the full wing-spreading behaviour is displayed.

3. Newly emerged moths which are confined show intense digging-behaviour and delay the onset of wing spreading until after their release. Decapitated moths attempt to spread their wings immediately, regardless of whether or not they are confined.

4. Surgical experiments showed that the brain was not required in a neural capacity in order for wing spreading to occur; it was needed only as a source of the eclosion hormone. The neural influence of the suboesophageal ganglion was required until immediately after eclosion.

5. Newly emerged moths whose abdomens had been removed showed wing-folding behaviour. No inflation occurred and the duration of wing folding was much longer than normal. It was concluded that wing-folding behaviour was centrally programmed but that the abdomen could modify the length of the programme.

6. Injections of bursicon into abdomenless moths reduced the duration of wing-folding behaviour to almost normal levels. Therefore, in some manner, bursicon has an important role in determining when wing-folding behaviour will come to an end.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Zilberstein, J. Ewer, and A. Ayali Neuromodulation of the locust frontal ganglion during the moult: a novel role for insect ecdysis peptides J. Exp. Biol., August 1, 2006; 209(15): 2911 - 2919. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D. Baker and J. W. Truman Mutations in the Drosophila glycoprotein hormone receptor, rickets, eliminate neuropeptide-induced tanning and selectively block a stereotyped behavioral program J. Exp. Biol., September 1, 2002; 205(17): 2555 - 2565. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Fuse and J. W. Truman Modulation of ecdysis in the moth Manduca sexta: the roles of the suboesophageal and thoracic ganglia J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2002; 205(8): 1047 - 1058. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Bantignies, R. H. Goodman, and S. M. Smolik Functional Interaction between the Coactivator Drosophila CREB-Binding Protein and ASH1, a Member of the Trithorax Group of Chromatin Modifiers Mol. Cell. Biol., December 15, 2000; 20(24): 9317 - 9330. [Abstract] [Full Text]