Diapause Hormones. In: Miller TA, editor. Neurohormonal Techniques in Insects. New York: Springer; 1980. pp. 216-43. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4612-6039-4_10]

HCN-induced embryo arrest: passion fruit as an ecological trap for fruit flies

BACKGROUND

Fruit flies are important economic pests of fruits, vegetables, and nuts all over the world. In this study, a permanent ecological trap, which was created by the ovicidal effect of phytogenic hydrogen cyanide (HCN) liberated from passion fruits due to oviposition by fruit flies and can be used in the pest management, were determined.

RESULTS

Observation of fruit fly eggs in Passiflora within the passion fruit cultivation region in southern China, from Aug 2019 to Oct 2020 showed that the exotic Passiflora attracted the native fruit flies to oviposit, but the eggs could not hatch. Using classical staging to categorize embryonic development and fumigation assays, we show that oviposition by fruit fly on passion fruits, release HCN from the cyanogenic mesocarp. Exposure of the eggs to HCN causes arrest of embryonic development and finally the death of eggs.

CONCLUSION

Our results reveal that the life cycle of fruit fly in Passiflora is interrupted at the egg stage. Consequently, we predict that this ecological trap may be permanent. Extensive cultivation of the Passiflora vine as a dead-end trap crop may be an effective avenue to reduce populations of fruit fly pests. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

N-terminal amino acid sequence of an insect neurohormone, melanization and reddish coloration hormone (MRCH): heterogeneity and sequence homology with human insulin-like growth factor II

An insect neurohormone, melanization and reddish coloration hormone (MRCH), is responsible for cuticular melanization and epidermal red pigmentation in the armyworm. The three molecular forms of MRCH were isolated from adult heads of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, and their N-terminal amino acid sequences revealed a sequence homology with the C-terminal region of human insulin-like growth factor-II as well as N-terminal heterogeneity of MRCHs.