次级生殖主要从若虫发育。然而,它们很少被研究;特别是,羽翼松弛的成虫繁殖体(AR)的发育尚不清楚。在这项研究中,幼体激素(JH)水平的变化,卵黄蛋白原基因表达,研究并比较了侧耳网状若虫的末龄若虫的AR发育过程中的卵子发生和小孢子生殖(BN)。结果表明,末龄若虫蜕皮后的AR,它们在形态上更类似于新生殖。此外,配对的AR在没有工人的情况下无法生存。在拉布拉利斯,最后一龄若虫发展为AR和BN的过程以JH水平的增加为起点。蜕皮成BN的最后一龄若虫的JH水平比AR高约1.5倍。此外,BN的JHIII水平在第5天达到峰值,AR的JHIII水平在第10天达到峰值,这引起了BN和AR的卵黄发生。分别。蜕皮后,BN和AR的卵黄蛋白原基因表达水平先升高后下降,BN中的表达水平明显高于AR中的表达水平。此外,BN的卵母细胞早于AR的卵母细胞成熟,BN产卵的数量高于AR产卵的数量。我们的研究结果表明,在拉布拉带,最后一龄若虫可以发育成AR,它们的发展与BN有很大不同。
Secondary reproductives develop primarily from nymphs. However, they have been rarely studied; in particular, the development of adultoid reproductives (AR) with floppy wings is still unclear. In this
study, the change in juvenile hormone (JH) levels, vitellogenin gene expression, and oogenesis during the development of AR and brachypterous neotenic reproductives (BN) from the last instar nymphs of Reticulitermes labralis are investigated and compared. The results showed that the AR derived from the last instar nymphs by molting, and they were more similar to neotenic reproductives in morphology. In addition, the paired AR were not able to survive in the absence of workers. In R. labralis, the process of the last instar nymphs developing into AR and BN took an increase in JH level as a starting point. The JH level of the last instar nymphs molting into BN was approximately 1.5-fold higher than that of the AR. Additionally, The JHIII level of BN peaked on day 5, and that of AR peaked on day 10, which induced the onset of vitellogenesis in BN and AR, respectively. After molting, the vitellogenin gene expression levels of both BN and AR initially increased and then declined, and the expression levels in the BN were significantly higher than those in the AR. In addition, the oocytes of BN matured earlier than those of the AR, and the number of eggs laid by the BN was higher than the number laid by the AR. Our results demonstrate that, in R. labralis, the last instar nymphs can develop into AR, which are significantly different from BN in their development.