Larval Cannibalism and Pupal Defense Against Cannibalism in Two Species of Tenebrionid Beetles
Larval Cannibalism and Pupal Defense Against Cannibalism in Two Species of Tenebrionid Beetles
复制标题
两种拟步甲虫的幼虫同类相食和蛹对同类相食的防御
作者：
T. Ichikawa;Toshi Kurauchi
许多昆虫都有幼虫吃蛹的现象，但幼虫吃蛹的特点和蛹对幼虫吃蛹的防御机制却被忽视了。拟步甲的蛹会在触觉刺激下旋转腹部，包括腿、触角、下颚髓和翅膀。当黄粉虫和Zophobas atratus的蛹腹旋转反应被完全阻断腹神经索（VNC）的pupelies，麻痹pupelies的附属物成为最初的，主要的攻击目标幼虫食人族。20只麻痹蛹在6 h内被100只幼虫吃掉，绝大多数蛹在2- 3d内死亡。而Z. atratus和几株T.黄粉虫在VNC完好的时候被吃掉了因此，腹旋转反应的pupelis功能作为一个有效的防御幼虫同类相食。
Cannibalism of pupae by larvae has been documented in many species of insects, but the features of larval cannibalism and pupal defensive mechanisms against larval cannibalism have been largely ignored. Pupae of tenebrionid beetles rotate their abdominal segments in a circular motion in response to the tactile stimulation of appendages, including legs, antennae, maxillary pulps, and wings. When the pupal abdominal rotation responses of Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus were completely blocked by transecting the ventral nerve cord (VNC) of the pupae, the appendages of the paralytic pupae became initial, major targets for attack by larval cannibals. The majority of 20 paralytic pupae was cannibalized by 100 larvae within 6 h, and almost all the pupae were killed within 2–3 days. In contrast, only a few pupae of Z. atratus and several pupae of T. molitor were cannibalized when the VNC was intact. The abdominal rotation response of the pupae thus functions as an effective defense against larval cannibalism.