Temperature, humidity, photoperiod, and illumination suitable for hatching of Locusta migratoria were investigated. Among four temperatures of 20℃, 25℃, 27℃, 30℃, and 33℃, 33℃ showed the highest hatching rate as 85.6±10.0%, and 30℃(63.2±24.9%), 27℃(42.5±9.6%), in the following order. The hatching rate in 20℃ and 25℃ was 0.0%, respectively. The longer hatching days were accompanied by the lower temperature. In humidity of 50%, 65%, 80%, 65% was the best hatching rate as 86.4±3.8% and 80% (81.6±15.4%), 50% (71.9±14.9%) in the following order. But there was no statistical significance. In three photoperiods of 9L/15D, 12L/12D, 15L/9D, 9L/15D was the best hatching rate as 81.2% and 12L/12D (80.0%), 15L/9D (72.6%) in the following order. In illuminations, 3,500 lux showed the highest hatching rate as 76.1% and 1,800 (61.9%), 600 lux (47.5%) in the following order among illuminations of 600, 1,800, and 3,500. In conclusion, the most suitable temperature, hunidity, photoperiod, and illumination of the hatching of Locusta migratoria were turned out as 33℃, 65%, 9L/15D, and 3,500 lux.

We investigated the sexual maturity time of B. ignitus. In investigating ovary development, the time of sexual maturity of queen was 10 days after eclosion. In case of male, the number of sperm was 246 thousand at immediately after eclosion, and was highest as 480 thousand at 9 days, and tended to show a dramatic decline at 35 days (87 thousand). In consideration of number of sperms, the time of sexual maturity of male was 3-15 days after eclosion. In the sexual maturity time of queen in mating, the queen was not mated at immediately after eclosion, and showed a decrease in 20 days. On the other hand, the male showed 3.3% of mating at immediately after ecolosion, showed the highest of 43.3% at 6 days after eclosion, and tended to decrease in 25 days. In summary, sexual maturity time of B. ignitus in reproductive organs and mating is most favorable in 9-12 days after eclosion for queen and 6-9 days for male.

Here, we investigated antioxidant defense mechanism in the spermatheca of A. mellifera queens via RNA-seq analysis of spermathecae in both mated and virgin queens. We identified the genes encoding antioxidant proteins, which were differentially expressed in the spermatheca of mated queens. The concentrations of antioxidant proteins, such as superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GTPX), and transferrin (Tf) together with the levels of ROS, H2O2, and iron were higher in the spermathecal fluid of mated queens as opposed to those in the spermathecal fluid of virgin queens; this indicated that increase in antioxidant protein concentration is an antioxidant defense mechanism occurring in the spermathecal fluid of mated queens against ROS; this mechanism involves conversion of ROS using antioxidant enzymes and Tf-mediated inhibition of the Fenton reaction occurring between Fe2+ and H2O2. Our data indicate that an increased expression of antioxidant proteins could facilitate prolonged storage and survival of sperms in the spermatheca of mated queens, suggesting the role of antioxidant proteins in antioxidative defense against ROS.

We investigated the effects of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony size on the pollination of greenhouse-cultivated watermelon grown under the forcing cultivation system. The highest pollination activity of bees was observed (14.3 ± 5.0 honey bees/day) when the bee colony size was 10,000 honey bees, followed by 7,500 and 5,000 honey bees. There was a positive correlation between the bee colony size and pollination activity (R = 0.262). There was no significant difference in the fruit set with different honey bee colony sizes (88%–91%). However, the larger the bee colony size, the higher the number of seeds fertilized and the rate of seed fertilization (p > 0.05). The number of seeds and the content of sugar were negatively correlated (R = -0.714). Overall, we found that a colony size of 5,000 honey bees was the most effective for the pollination of watermelon grown under forcing cultivation.

아메리카왕거저리(Zophobas atratus)는 대형 거저리류로, 영양적 가치가 높아서 현재는 식용, 사료용 곤충으로 활용하고자 연구가 진행 중이다. 아메리카왕거저리의 산란율 향상을 위해서 산란에 적합한 광주기 조건을 조사하였다. 9L/15D, 12L/12D, 15L/9D (암수비율 1:2, 온도 30 ℃, 습도 65% RH, 조도 1800 lux) 의 광조건 하에서 산란수 조사 결과, 아메리카왕거저리의 산란수은 약 5주간은 증가하다가 이후 서서히 감소하는 경향을 보였다. 아메리카왕거저리 1마리의 일일 평균 산란수은 15L/9D가 22.9±6.5개로 가장 높았고, 그 다음이 9L/15D 16.8±8.5개, 12L/12D 7.5±4.6개 순이었다. 누적 산란수(15주) 역시 15L/9D가 291.1±120.2개로 가장 높았고, 그 다음이 9L/15D 200.9±111.3개, 12L/12D 87.7±64.1개 순이었다. 그러나 폐사율은 9L/15D가 53.3%로 가장 높았고, 그 다음이 12L/12D 50.0%, 15L/9D 43.3% 순이었다. 이런 결과로 볼 때 아메리카왕거저리의 산란에 적합한 광주기는 15L/9D로 판단된다.

화분매개곤충인 호박벌(B. ignitus)의 교미율을 높이기 위하여 생식기관 발육과 교미에 의한 성적 성숙시기를 조사하였다. 난소 소관 당 알 수와 수정낭 크기 등 난소 발육으로 볼 때, 여왕벌의 성적 성숙시기는 우화 10일 이내이었다. 수벌의 정자수는 우화당일에 24.6만개이었고, 우화 9일째가 48.0만개 정도로 가장 많았으며, 우화 35일(8.7만개) 이후 정자수가 감소하는 경향을 보였다. 또한 교미횟수가 증가함에 따라 정자수가 줄어드는 것을 알 수 있었다. 수벌의 정자수에 의한 성적 성숙시기는 우화 3~15일이었다. 교미에 의한 성적 성숙시기 조사결과, 여왕벌은 우화직 후에는 전혀 교미를 하지 않았으며, 우화 20일 이후에는 교미율이 떨어지는 경향을 보였다. 교미율과 산란율 등으로 볼 때 여왕벌의 교미에 적합 한 시기는 우화 9~20일이었다. 반면에 수벌은 우화 직후에도 3.3% 교미하였으며, 우화 6일째가 43.3%로 가장 높았으며, 우화 25일 이후부터는 감소하는 경향이었다. 교미율과 산란율 등으로 볼 때, 수벌의 교미 성숙시기는 우화 6~20일이었다. 이상의 생식기관 발육과 교미에 의한 봉세발 달 등으로 볼 때 호박벌 여왕벌의 최적 성적 성숙시기는 우화 9~12일, 수벌은 우화 6~9일로 판단된다.