Responsiveness to photoperiodic changes in the circannual rhythm of the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci

Small geographic variation in photoperiodic entrainment of the circannual rhythm in the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci

The circannual pupation rhythm of Anthrenus verbasci is entrained to an environmental cycle by changes in photoperiod. Exposure of larvae reared under short-day conditions to long days induced a clear phase delay of the circannual rhythm. There was no notable difference in the initial phase or period of the circannual rhythm among four geographically distinct populations of A. verbasci in Japan: Takanabe (32.1°N), Osaka (34.7°N), Sendai (38.3°N), and Sapporo (43.1°N) populations. The range of photoperiodic changes effective for phase delay in the circannual pupation rhythm was compared among the four populations. Although larvae did not show a typical threshold response, but responded quantitatively to the photophase duration in intermediate conditions, the critical daylengths were calculated as those under which the pupation was delayed by 50%: 12.8 h in the Takanabe population, 13.2 h in the Osaka population, and 13.6 h in the Sendai and Sapporo populations. Thus, the critical daylength for entrainment of the circannual rhythm in A. verbasci was correlated to the habitat latitude, but the differences among the populations were much smaller than those reported in photoperiodism for induction of diapause in various insects. Consequently, the difference in the pupation time among the four geographic populations was very small under the natural photoperiod in Osaka at 20°C, and absent under the natural photoperiod and temperature in Osaka. These results suggest that A. verbasci survives and successfully produces the next generation in different geographic regions without changing the parameters of the circannual rhythm.

Circannual rhythm in the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci

Although circannual rhythms controlling different physiological processes and various aspects of behavior have been reported in numerous organisms, our understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms is still quite limited. We examined the mechanisms controlling the circannual pupation rhythm of the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci. This rhythm is self-sustainable, exhibits temperature compensation of the periodicity, and is entrainable to environmental changes. In addition, the circannual phase response curves to a photoperiod pulse display Type 0 or Type 1 resetting, depending on the duration of the pulse. Thus, we infer that this rhythm is derived from a self-sustaining biological oscillator with a period of about a year, that is, a circannual clock, analogous to the circadian clock. Further, a circadian clock appears to mediate photoperiodic time measurement for phase resetting of the circannual clock. Based on these results and previous research performed in other organisms, we discuss the general characteristics of the physiological mechanisms underpinning circannual rhythmicity.

A circadian system is involved in photoperiodic entrainment of the circannual rhythm of Anthrenus verbasci

In the circannual pupation rhythm of the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci, entrainment to annual cycles is achieved by phase resetting of the circannual oscillator in response to photoperiodic changes. In order to examine whether a circadian system is involved in expression of the periodic pattern and phase resetting of the circannual rhythm as photoperiodic responses, we exposed larvae to light-dark cycles with a short photophase followed by a variable scotophase (the Nanda-Hamner protocol). When the cycle length (T) was a multiple of 24h, i.e., 24, 48, or 72 h, short-day effects were clearer than when T was far from a multiple of 24h, i.e., 36 or 60 h. Exposure to light-dark cycles of T=36 h had effects similar to exposure to long-day cycles of T=24h. The magnitude of phase shifts depended on the duration and the phase of exposure to the cycles of T=36 or 60 h. It was therefore concluded that a circadian system is involved in photoperiodic time measurement for phase resetting of the circannual oscillator of A. verbasci.