Abstract
Contact application of precocene 2 (6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylchromene) to inseminated adult female bed bugs inhibited egg maturation and affected egg viability. Third-stage nymphs exposed to 100μg/cm2 showed precocious maturation after the moult to the next stage. Nymphs exposed to lower concentrations of precocene exhibited teratism of the antennae, including the reduction of terminal sensillae. This was thought to be responsible for the bugs not assembling.
Reduction in the fecundity in adult bugs, and the morphogenetic and teratogenic activity in nymphs was circumstantially related to reduced levels of juvenile hormone, as a result of exposure to precocene.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bowers W. S. (1976) In The Juvenile Hormones (Ed. by Gilbert L. I.), pp. 394–408. Plenum Press, New York.
Bowers W. S. and Martinez-Pardo R. (1977) Antiallatotropins: inhibition of corpus allatum development. Science 197, 1369–1371.
Bowers W. S., Ohta T., Cleere J. S. And Marsella P. A. (1976) Discovery of insect anti-juvenile hormones in plants. Science 193, 542–547.
Davis N. T. (1964) Studies of the reproductive physiology of Cimicidae (Hemiptera)—I. Fecundation and egg maturation. J. Insect Physiol. 10, 947–963.
Levinson H. A., Levinson A. R., Muller B. and Steinbrecht R. A. (1974) Structure of sensillae, olfactory perception, and behaviour of the bed bug Cimex lectularius, in response to its alarm pheromone. J. Insect Physiol. 20, 1231–1248.
Mellanby K. (1939) Fertilisation and egg production in the bed-bug Cimex lectularius L. Parasitology 31, 193–199.
Neville A. C. (1975) Biology of the Arthropod Cuticle, pp. 253–256. Springer, New York.
Pener M. P., Orshan L. and Dewilde J. (1978) Precocene II causes atrophy of corpora allata in Locusta migratoria. Nature 272, 350–353.
Pflugfelder O. (1938) Farbveranderungen und bewebsentartungen nach nervendurchschneidung und extirpation der corpora allata von Dixippus morosus. Verh. dt zool. Ges. 40, 127–137.
Pratt G. E. and Bowers W. S. (1977) Precocene II inhibits juvenile hormone biosynthesis by cockroach corpora allata in vitro. Nature 265, 548–550.
Steinbrecht R. A. and Muller B. (1976) Fine structure of the antennal receptors of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. Tissue & Cell 8, 615–636.
Tarrant C. A. and Cupp E. W. (1978) Morphogenetic effects of precocene II on the immature stages of Rhodnius prolixus. Trans. R. Soc. trop. Med. Hyg. 72, 666–668.
Unnithan G. C, Nair K. K. and Bowers W. S. (1977) Precocene-induced degeneration of the corpus allatum of adult females of the bug Oncopeltus fasciatus. J. Insect Physiol. 23, 1081–1094.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Feldlaufer, M.F., Eberle, M.W. & McClelland, G.A.H. Developmental and Teratogenic Effects of Precocene 2 on the Bed Bug, Cimex Lectularius L.. Int J Trop Insect Sci 1, 389–392 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400000734
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400000734