title: Temporal profiles of juvenile hormone titers and egg production in virgin and mated females of Heliothis virescens (Noctuidae).
abstract: Juvenile hormones (JH) I, II, and III were monitored in hemolymph of virgin and mated females of various ages in Heliothis virescens. JH I was the predominant homologue followed by JH II, but JH II was present at a higher level in young virgin females. JH III was detectable only at a low level. In virgin females, hemolymph JH titers were low at emergence (2.2ng/ml-total amount of JH I and JH II), but increased thereafter and reached a maximum at 24h of age (53.5ng/ml). At 30h and 36h of age, JH titers dropped to a low level, but increased again in older virgin females. After mating, JH titers increased significantly. JH titers at 0h after uncoupling (137.4ng/ml) were nearly 3 times as high as those in 24-h-old virgin females. Within 6h after uncoupling, JH titers decreased slightly, but titers increased with age of mated females and reached a level of 320.2ng/ml hemolymph at 72h after uncoupling. The titer of JH I and JH II was correlated highly with total number of eggs produced (r(2)=0.70, P<0.001). Mating stimulated JH production, resulting in an increase in egg production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, USA
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Y I.
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: S B.
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ramaswamy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srinivasan