Effects of the juvenile hormone mimic NC-184 on the development of the reproductive organs and mating behaviour of nymphs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Abstract

The insect growth regulator NC-184, a juvenile hormone mimic, prevents moulting to the adult stage in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Male nymphs treated in the penultimate or final nymphal instar with NC-184 exhibit precocious mating behaviour in the final instar. We examined whether this chemical affects the development of the internal reproductive organs of crowded nymphs. In treated males, both accessory glands and seminal vesicles were underdeveloped, and no sperm was found in the seminal vesicle, whereas these organs in control individuals had greatly increased in size 10 days after treatment, when all the insects had moulted to adults. Testis size in treated males was similar to that in controls, regardless of their smaller body size due to the inhibition of moulting. Oogenesis and development of spermatheca in females treated with NC-184 continued to some degree, but no eggs matured, unlike what occurred in the control. In conclusion, treatment of S. gregaria nymphs with NC-184 resulted in changes in the reproductive organs in both sexes.

Keywords

• orthoptera
• acrididae
• schistocerca gregaria
• juvenile hormone mimic
• moulting
• reproductive organs
• oogenesis
• spermatheca