Insect cuticular extracellular matrices (ECM) including the eggshell and exoskeleton play vital roles in protecting them from natural environmental stresses. However, these chitinous ECMs must be degraded at least in part during embryonic and post-embyonic molting periods to accommodate continuous growth all the way to the adult stage. In this study we investigated the functions of groups I and II chitinases, TcCHT5 and TcCHT10, in turnover of the eggshell and cuticle in Tribolium castaneum. RNAi and TEM analyses revealed that TcCHT10 is required for digestion of chitin in the serosal cuticle for embryo hatching as well as in the old cuticle during post-embryonic molts including larval-pupal and pupal-adult metamorphosis. However, although TcCHT5 is apparently involved in these vital physiological events, TcCHT10 could substitute for TcCHT5 except during the pupal-adult molting when both enzymes are indispensable to degrade chitin in the old pupal cuticle.

Insect cuticle is an extracellular matrix formed primarily from two different biopolymers, chitin and protein. During each molt cycle, a new cuticle is deposited simultaneously with degradation of the old cuticle by molting fluid cuticle degrading-enzymes, including epidermal chitinases (CHTs). Insect CHTs, belonging to family 18 glycosylhydrolase (GH18), have been classified into at least eleven subgroups based on phylogenetic analyses, and group I (CHT5) and group II (CHT10) epidermal CHTs present in molting fluid. In this study we report the physiological function of MaCHT5 and MaCHT10 in the Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus. RNAi for either MaCHT5 or MaCHT10 resulted in larval-pupal and pupal-adult molting defects, in which the insects were unable to shed completely their old cuticle and died entrapped in their exuviae. Furthermore, TEM analysis revealed a failure of degradation of the old cuticle in both MaCHT5- and MaCHT10-deficient pharate adults. In the old pupal cuticle, the chitinous horizontal laminar and vertical pore canal essentially remained intact in the endocuticular layer. These results indicate that both CHTs are required for turnover of the chitinous old cuticle, which is critical for completion of insect molting. We also discuss the possible function of two spliced variants of MaCHT10, MaCHT10a and MaCHT10b.

Understanding molting process in subterranean termites is a critical step to implement successful control program as chitin synthesis inhibitor baits interfere molting process of termites. In the present study, we report detailed molting process in Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto, 1968 that foraging workers start fasting period 5 days after they were collected and finished their entire molting process for the next 5 to 6 days. Ecdysis took less than an hour, specifically 9.2 ± 4.9 minutes from jack-knife posture to separation of the antenna and 36.6 ± 8.5 minutes from separation of the antenna to regain mobility. We believed relatively short time window of molting process in R. speratus kyushuensis may affect lengthy colony elimination time.

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (BSF), has a worldwide distribution in the tropics and warm temperate regions and is active in the Korea from May through October. This species colonize a wide variety of decomposing vegetable and animal matter and oviposit in a variety of decomposing materials. In this study, how the BSF molting, adult emergence and mating rate changed by seasonal condition at the artificial rearing system was investigated. The black soldier fly larvae and pupae were reared under laboratory condition (27℃, 60% R.H.). Under the laboratory condition, molting and adult emergence were not influenced by seasonal factors such as climate, radiation intensity. But it is known that the sunlight is the most important factor of the mating. In the previous study the time of day, temperature, and humidity is significantly correlated with oviposition and mating. The rearing of BSF throughout the year is restricted by sunlight. In this study, the data shows definitely different mating numbers throughout whole year. The time of the day and sunlight density are changed with season and it influence on artificial rearing. To culture the black soldier fly throughout the year in Korea needs a more deep study under the artificial rearing system.

Population density of the citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor), in Japanese pear orchards remained low until mid-August, even after inoculation of pear leaves with a considerable number of adult female P. citri from May onwards. This raised the possibility that pear leaves contain a natural compound that suppresses an increase of P. citri populations. The rate of development from larva to adult was significantly lower on leaves collected in July than on leaves collected earlier or later, in several years. The population suppression was caused by molting inhibition and ovicidal activity, according to our close observation in the laboratory [Gotoh and Kubota (1997) Exp. Appl. Acarol. 21: 343-356]. To clarify whether a natural pear compound caused this molting inhibition, a methanol crude extract of pear leaves was isolated and added to a newly developed artificial diet, consisting of sodium caseinate, sucrose, levulose, glucose and inositol. The compound extracted from pear leaves resulted in the molting inhibition as observed on pear leaves. Based on infrared and NMR spectral analysis, the compound extracted from pear leaves closely resembled the synthetic acaricide hexythiazox. Furthermore, the LC50-values of the compound extracted from pear leaves for ovicidal activity of P. citri eggs and for inhibition of molting to protonymphs were similar to those of hexythiazox. These results strongly suggest that the molting deterrent extracted from pear leaves was in fact hexythiazox, an acaricide in use on pear trees, rather than a natural product. This suggestion becomes even stronger, considering that the molting inhibition was observed in a hexythiazox-spray year, but not in a non-spray year.

탈피호르몬의 작용을 방해하는 농약제인 tebufenozide 를 알에서 부화한 지 7일째의 C. riparius에 처리하여 성충이 될 때까지의 생장과정을 연구하였다. C. riparius 에 control, 10 μg L-1, 30 μg L-1, 60 μg L-1와 100 μg L-1의 농도로 약제를 처리하였다. 전체적으로 약제를 처리한 하루 후인 D12에 16%가 치사

본연구는 오리나무잎벌레(Agelastica coerulea Baly)성충의 유면 유기에 미치는 온도와 광주기 영향 및 유약호르몬(juvenile hormome III)과 탈피호르몬(20-hydroxyecdysone)이 휴면중인 성충에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위하여 수행되었다. 오리나무잎벌레는 일년에 일회 발생하며 난, 유충, 용 성충기간은 가각 7~10일, 19~21일, 14~15일, 약 10개월로 조사되었다. 오리나무잎벌레의 알과 유충을 와 의 조건에서 광주기를 각각 16L/8L, 12L/12D, 8L/16D로 달？여 사육하여도 모든 성충이 휴면에 들어가 이들은 필수성충휴면을 하는 것으로 생각되었다. 휴면기간동안 난소는 거의 발육되지 않았으며 유면말기의 개체를 , 16L/8D에 노출시키면, 난소소관이 급속하게 발달되었다. 휴면중인 성충에 유약호르몬을 처리하면 일시적으로 휴면이 타파되고 산란이 이루어졌으나 탈피호르몬은 아무런 영향도 미치지 못했다.

This study has been conducted to investigate the molting behavior and the effects of rearing temperature and day length on molting in the behavior and the effects of rearing temperature and day length on molting in the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii reared in the laboratory. The results obtained were summarized as follow: 1. After pre-spawning molting, the protopodites of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th except 5th pleopod bore new breeding setae which conserve eggs in the brooding chamber and the basis of 3rd, 4th, and 5th pereiopods bore new breeding dresses which transport the ovulated eggs into the brooding chamber. 2. Adult females reared in 27.5- molted 10-12 times per year at interval of 27-35 days, of which four or six moltings were common molting for growth and another four or five moltings were pre-spawning molting for spwaning and brooding. In winter season, pre-spawning molting did not happen to most of adult females in spite of the same temperature. 3. Duration of intermolt cycle was 31-38 days and 26-30 days at 25.3- and 28.7- of rearing temperature, respectively.