Environmental control of flight muscle histolysis in the bug Dysdercus intermedius

Ecology of cotton stainers (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae) in southern Ghana

“…This means that migration is restricted to young adults. It is known (Edwards, 1969(Edwards, , 1970) that flight muscles in gravid females of Dysdercus species are absorbed and hence they are unable to migrate by flight. But it seems to us that while this may be true, the older insects at least the males as well as the larvae also migrate.…”

Effects of Mating on Female Locomotor Activity in the Parasitoid WaspNasonia vitripennis(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

“…Locomotor activity decreases with mating in female German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.) (Lin and Lee 1998). Likewise, in the small milkweed bug, Lygaeus kalmii Stål, and the moth Helicoverpa armigera (Hü bner), mating decreases tethered ßight duration (Caldwell 1974, Armes andCooter 1991); and in the bug Dysdercus intermedius Distant, mating is followed by wing muscle histolysis (Edwards 1969). In contrast, in the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), and Nysius vinitor Bergroth, mating apparently does not affect ßight behavior (Kehat andWyndham 1973, Stewart andGaylor 1994).…”

Flight muscle breakdown in the green-veined white butterfly, Pieris napi (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

“…In some species muscle breakdown may also occur without prior flight/dispersal (e.g. Edwards, 1969;Solbreck, 1986;Kaitala & Hulden, 1990), if local conditions are favourable for reproduction. Similar to the fecundity benefit realised by flightless individuals in flightpolymorphic species, muscle breakdown has been shown to increase fecundity in comparison to individuals that retain their flight muscles (e.g.…”