Prevention of metamorphosis by exposure of insect eggs to juvenile hormone analogs

Abstract

Metamorphosis of the bugs Pyrrhocoris apterus and Oncopeltus fasciatus is blocked by the application of juvenile hormone analogs to the eqgs 4 weeks earlier. One or more supernumerary larval molts occur to form "giant" larvae which routinely die without undergoing netamorphosis. When the corpora allatta were excised at the outset of the fifth larval stage, the entire phenomenon vanished and all individuals underwent normal metamorphosis. The inhibition of metamorphosis can therefoore be attributed to a continuation of the secretion of endogenous juvenile hormone by the corpora allata of mature larvae deried from eggs treated with juvenile hormone.