Cocoon Construction By the Cecropia Silkworm Ii. the Role of the Internal Environment

Kloot, William G. Van der; Williams, Carroll M.

doi:10.1163/156853953x00096

Cited by 34 publications

(28 citation statements)

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“…It was observed that some larvae (approximately 10%) did not spin cocoons, while others spun a thin, flat layer of silk. Similar behaviour has been observed in the Cecropia silkworm and it was suggested that the construction of the inner and outer layers of the cocoon cannot be repeated if interrupted (van der Kloot & Williams, 1953). However, incomplete spinning did not appear to affect pupation or subsequent eclosion.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 73%

Post‐eclosion diuresis in a flightless insect, the silkmoth Bombyx mori

Strathie

Nicolson

1993

Physiological Entomology

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Abstract. Although the silkmoth, Bombyx mori L., has lost the ability to fly, it has retained a post‐eclosion diuresis. In moths removed from their cocoons before eclosion, or in those which failed to spin cocoons as larvae, the weight loss due to diuresis was 14% of the eclosion body weight in males. Moths which used labial fluid to escape from their cocoons showed a correspondingly smaller diuresis (5%). Both urine and labial fluid had high potassium and low sodium concentrations. Unlike post‐eclosion diuresis in butterflies, however, the urine was isosmotic to the haemolymph. In vitro preparations of B.mori Malpighian tubules were stimulated by cyclic AMP, B.mori brain extracts and Manduca sexta diuretic peptide (Mas‐DP I).

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 73%

Post‐eclosion diuresis in a flightless insect, the silkmoth Bombyx mori

Strathie

Nicolson

1993

Physiological Entomology

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“…Cocoon construction by the mature caterpillar of the cecropia silk moth Hyalophora cecropia (Lepidoptera; Saturniidae), represents an example of such an intriguing situation in which individuals might measure silk length culminating with the building of a cocoon with distinct, multilayered architectural features [6][7][8][9][10]. Constructed by late 5 th instar larvae during the summer, cocoons serve as important overwintering housing for individuals during the pupal stage, and from which individuals will later eclose as adults in the following spring [10][11][12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Silk used for cecropia cocoon construction is drawn from the spinneret, located in the head below the mandibles, via contact of the spinneret's tip with a substrate and the movement of the caterpillar head that draws out (extracts) silk. Cocoon construction in cecropia progresses through a stereotyped sequence of events, as described by the classic work of Van der Kloot and Williams [6][7][8]. After selecting a spinning site, individuals first assemble a silk scaffold that secures the cocoon at the spinning site.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A re-evaluation of silk measurement by the cecropia caterpillar (Hyalophora cecropia) during cocoon construction reveals use of a silk odometer that is temporally regulated

et al. 2020

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The late 5 th instar caterpillar of the cecropia silk moth (Hyalophora cecropia) spins a silken cocoon with a distinct, multilayered architecture. The cocoon construction program, first described by the seminal work of Van der Kloot and Williams, consists of a highly ordered sequence of events. We perform behavioral experiments to re-evaluate the original cecropia work, which hypothesized that the length of silk that passes through the spinneret controls the orderly execution of each of the discrete events of cocoon spinning. We confirm and extend by three-dimensional scanning and quantitative measurements of silk weights that if cocoon construction is interrupted, upon re-spinning, the caterpillar continues the cocoon program from where it left off. We also confirm and extend by quantitative measurements of silk weights that cecropia caterpillars will not bypass any of the sections of the cocoon during the construction process, even if presented with a pre-spun section of a cocoon spun by another caterpillar. Blocking silk output inhibits caterpillars from performing normal spinning behaviors used for cocoon construction. Surprisingly, unblocking silk output 24-hr later did not restart the cocoon construction program, suggesting the involvement of a temporallydefined interval timer. We confirm with surgical reductions of the silk glands that it is the length of silk itself that matters, rather than the total amount of silk extracted by individuals. We used scanning electron microscopy to directly show that either mono-or dual-filament silk (i.e., equal silk lengths but which vary in their total amount of silk extracted) can be used to construct equivalent cocoons of normal size and that contain the relevant layers. We propose that our findings, taken together with the results of prior studies, strongly support the hypothesis that the caterpillar uses a silk "odometer" to measure the length of silk extracted during cocoon construction but does so in a temporally regulated manner. We further postulate that our examination of the anatomy of the silk spinning apparatus and ablating spinneret sensory output provides evidence that silk length measurement occurs upstream of output from the spinneret.

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“…The common mulberry silk (B. mori) cocoons are reported to consist of up to 10 layers and wild silks such as tasar (A. mylitta) have been reported to consist of three distinct layers [25][26][27]. Cocoons produced from non-domesticated insects such as cecropia have also been reported to be made up of three layers of fibers [28,29]. However, the properties of the fibers were reported to vary considerably between the different layers for B. mori silk but fibers from the three layers of cecropia cocoons were found to have similar properties [27].…”

Section: Cocoon Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%