Entomological Science (1999) 2, 457-465

Seiji Tanaka, Kazuhiro Tanaka, Yuko Yasuhara, Yuichi Nakahara and Chihiro Katagiri (1999)
Flight activity, flight fuels and lipophorins in a cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus
Entomological Science 2 (4), 457-465
Abstract: The flight activity and flight fuels of a cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, were investigated. Flight activity was monitored at 30°C. Both sexes started leaving the containers by day 3 and virtually all individuals disappeared from the containers within a week. Hemolymph samples were collected from 3- or 4-day-old tethered adults flown for 0-6 hours to observe the changes in concentrations of trehalose, diacylglycerol (DG), hydrocarbons and cholesterol in the hemolymph. The trehalose concentration declined after a 15-min flight, whereas the DG concentration increased significantly after a 1-hour flight. This pattern suggests that this cricket uses trehalose during the initial stage of flight activity and switches the flight fuel to DG for a further extended flight, as reported for locusts by others. Both hydrocarbon and cholesterol concentrations remained rather constant over a 6-hour flight. Tethered crickets which could not fly because their wings had been glued together beforehand did not show a significant change in either trehalose or DG concentration. Low-density lipophorin (LDLp) appeared in the hemolymph after a 1- or 2-hour flight, but much less in quantity than in AKH-injected unflown crickets. It was confirmed that the adipokinetic hormone (Grb-AKH) stimulated the formation of LDLp in this species. By electrophoresis, LDLp was found to contain apoLp-III, an apo-lipoprotein known to restore the solubility of a lipid-loaded lipophorin in other species.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Seiji Tanaka

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Gryllus bimaculatus		Japan