Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China.
J Insect Sci. 2013;13:137. doi: 10.1673/031.013.13701.
The solenopsis mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an aggressive pest threatening crops worldwide. The biology of P. solenopsis has been described in several studies, but detailed information on the reproduction of P. solenopsis has not been investigated. The results of our study showed: 1) no progeny could be produced by virgins; 2) apoptosis of follicle cells, which occurs when the eggs begin to develop, did not happen in virgins; and 3) oosorption occurred in the unfertilized eggs. This suggests that P. solenopsis is an obligate amphimictic species, and resorption of developed eggs fits the "wait to reproduce" oosorption hypothesis. Compared to females that mated when they were two days old, the females that mated 30 days after eclosion had lower reproductive output and longer adult lifespans, but had higher reproductive output and shorter lifespan than those of the unmated females. Such a phenomenon suggests that resources obtained from eggs can be allocated for survival until conditions for reproduction improve. The results of this study provide evidence for a trade-off between survival and future reproduction: delayed reproductive conditions trigger physiological states geared toward survival at the expense of reproduction. The mating history of the males had no effect on progeny production.
橘红火蚁， Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley（半翅目：粉虱科），是一种具有侵略性的害虫，威胁着全世界的农作物。已经有几项研究描述了 P. solenopsis 的生物学特性，但对 P. solenopsis 的繁殖细节尚未进行研究。我们的研究结果表明：1）处女虫不能产生后代；2）当卵开始发育时，滤泡细胞发生凋亡，但在处女虫中并未发生；3）未受精的卵发生卵吸收。这表明 P. solenopsis 是一种专性两性生殖的物种，而发育中的卵的吸收符合“等待繁殖”的卵吸收假说。与在羽化后两天交配的雌虫相比，羽化 30 天后交配的雌虫生殖产出较低，成虫寿命较长，但生殖产出高于未交配的雌虫，寿命较短。这种现象表明，从卵中获得的资源可以被分配用于生存，直到繁殖条件改善。本研究的结果为生存与未来繁殖之间的权衡提供了证据：延迟的繁殖条件会触发有利于生存而非繁殖的生理状态。雄虫的交配史对后代的产生没有影响。
