Hamilton J G C, Brazil R P, Campbell-Lendrum D, Davies C R, Kelly D W, Pessoa F A C, de Queiroz R G
School of Life Sciences, University of Keele, UK.
Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2002 Jan;96(1):83-92. doi: 10.1179/000349802125000547.
Male Lutzomyia longipalpis produce terpene sex pheromones in glandular tissue underlying the cuticle. The pheromones are transmitted to the surface via cuticle-lined ducts (measuring 0.25 microm in diameter), each of which reaches the surface in the centre of a papule (measuring 3-3.5 microm in diameter). Similar papules, in a range of shapes but all characterized by the presence of a central pore and absence of macroserae, occur in some other species of sandfly. The aim of the present study was to determine the distribution of sex pheromones in sandflies of the genus Lutzomyia that do and do not have the papules. The results indicate that sex pheromones are not widely distributed amongst male Lutzomyia spp. Male members of the genus can be subdivided into three groups: those that produce terpenes and have cuticular papules; those that do not produce terpenes but still have the associated papules; and those that have neither terpenes nor papules. The papules seen in the species that do not synthesise sex pheromones are presumably vestigial, non-functional structures. Such species may have stopped producing pheromone as the result of changes in the way in which the females found and selected mates or changing feeding preferences. A similar event has occurred in the Lepidoptera, where vestigial pheromone-secreting structures remain in some species which no longer produce pheromone. Lutzomyia lenti collected in southern Brazil produced a novel diterpene whereas male L. lenti from north-eastern Brazil did not, supporting suggestions by others that L. lenti is, like L. longipalpis, a species complex.
雄性长须罗蛉在表皮下的腺组织中产生萜烯性信息素。这些信息素通过内衬表皮的导管（直径为0.25微米）传递到体表，每条导管在一个丘疹（直径为3 - 3.5微米）的中心到达体表。在其他一些白蛉种类中也出现了类似的丘疹，其形状多样，但都具有中央孔且没有大刚毛的特征。本研究的目的是确定有和没有丘疹的罗蛉属白蛉中性信息素的分布情况。结果表明，性信息素在雄性罗蛉属中分布并不广泛。该属的雄性成员可分为三组：产生萜烯并具有表皮丘疹的；不产生萜烯但仍有相关丘疹的；既没有萜烯也没有丘疹的。在不合成性信息素的物种中看到的丘疹大概是退化的、无功能的结构。这些物种可能由于雌性寻找和选择配偶方式的变化或取食偏好的改变而停止产生信息素。类似的情况在鳞翅目中也有发生，在一些不再产生信息素的物种中仍保留着退化的信息素分泌结构。在巴西南部采集的慢罗蛉产生了一种新的二萜，而来自巴西东北部的雄性慢罗蛉则没有，这支持了其他人的观点，即慢罗蛉与长须罗蛉一样，是一个物种复合体。
