Classification and characterization of immune haemocytes in the larvae of the Indian fritillary, Papilio hyperbius (Lepidopetra: Nymphalidae)

Abstract

http://www.eje.cz can also perform related activities. Hence, identifying and characterizing key haemocytes involved in immunity in insects is essential for understanding the overall immunity of a given target species (Cho & Cho, 2019).The cell-mediated immune response of key haemocytes in insects functions mainly in three ways. Phagocytosis is the most common and easily observed phenomenon; the invading pathogen is rapidly recognized, following which changes occur in the cell membrane, including netting and encapsulation. This allows the cell to effi ciently capture and remove the foreign pathogen by phagocytosis (Lee et al., 2016). Furthermore, encapsulation constitutes an immune response against the invasion of a large number of pathogens that are smaller in size than haemocytes (such as bacteria). As one-on-one phagocytosis cannot occur in this scenario, haemocytes secrete sticky substances such as immunolectins, actins and collagens to enclose the patho-