Pteridine compounds in adults of the pink‐spotted bollworm, Pectinophora scutigera

Abstract

The amounts of four pteridine compounds, xanthopterin, isoxanthopterin, 6‐biopterin and pterin and a further unidentified substance, termed ‘modified xanthopterin’, were determined in the heads of adult Pectinophora scutigera (Holdaway) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), aged between 2 and 50 days and reared in the laboratory at 25 °C. The level of isoxanthopterin was also determined in the thoraces and abdomens of moths aged between 2 and 40 days. The levels of xanthopterin, and ‘modified xanthopterin’ decreased markedly in the heads of males and females with increasing moth age, while those of pterin decreased more slowly and 6‐biopterin remained largely unchanged. Isoxanthopterin decreased in male heads from 38.3 ng/head at 2 days to 22.7 ng/head at 50 days, but in females levels increased from 41.2 ng/head at 2 days to 150.4 ng/head at 50 days. Similar changes in the amounts of isoxanthopterin with increasing moth age were observed in male and female thoraces and abdomens. The results are discussed in relation to using pteridine compounds for estimating the physiological age of P. scutigera. Résumé Composés ptéridiniques des Pectinophora scutigera adultes En chromatographic liquide à haute performance (HPLC) à détection par fluorescence, 4 composés ptéridiniques: la xanthoptérine, l'isoxanthoptérine, la 6‐bioptérine et la ptérine ont été décelés dans les têtes de P. scutigera Holdaway (Lep. Gelechiidae) adultes. Un autre composé, dénommé ‘xanthoptérine modifiée’, a été décelé aussi dans les têtes de papillons; de même l'isoxanthoptérine a été décelée dans les thorax et abdomens. Les concentrations de ces ptérines ont été dosées dans les têtes des papillons de 2 à 50 jours au laboratoire à 25 °C. Les concentrations d'isoxanthoptérine ont été dosées dans les thorax et les abdomens de 2 à 40 jours. La xanthoptérine de la ‘xanthoptérine modifiée’ diminuent nettement avec l'âge, tandis que la ptérine diminue plus lentement et que la 6‐bioptérine se maintient pratiquement sans changements. L'isoxanthoptérine diminue dans les têtes de mâles de 38,3 ng/tête à 2 j à 22,7 ng/tête à 50 j, mais chez les femelles les concentrations augmentent nettement de 41,2 ng/tête à 2 j à 150,4 ng/tête à 50 j. Des modifications de même type ont été observées dans les thorax et les abdomens des mâles et des femelles. Les modifications de concentration de la ‘xanthoptérine modifiée’ des têtes de papillons peuvent être utilisées pour évaluer l'âge physiologique de mâles et des femelles de P. scutigera. La confiance dans ces estimations peut être améliorée en se référant aux concentrations d'isoxanthoptérine dans les thorax des mâles et au rapport isoxanthoptérine/'xanthoptérine modifiée' dans les têtes de femelles.

Determining the ages of adult females of different members of the Simulium damnosum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) by the pteridine accumulation method

“…Some of the constituent compounds, the effects of which are masked by the use of total fluorescence values, might by themselves be better predictors of age. Such heterogeneity was reported for the bollworm P. scutigera (Noble & Walker, 1990) but was not found in the only study to date of individual pteridines in Diptera (Mail & Lehane, 1988).…”

“…For such flies of medical and veterinary importance, the findings are being exploited to develop methods for estimating the ages of populations. In addition similar approaches have shown promise in studies of a lepidopterous pest of cotton, the bollworm Pectinophora scutigera (Holdaway) (Gelechiidae) (Noble & Walker, 1990) and the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata Weidemann (Tephritidae) (Camin et al, 1991).…”

Pteridine levels and head weights are correlated with age and colony task in the honey bee,Apis mellifera

“…These pteridines accumulate with age, allowing accurate age determination by measuring pteridine concentration. The use of pteridines in aging has recently been evaluated in other insects, such as the ant, Polyrhachis sexpinosa ( Robson & Crozier , 2009 ), and pink-spotted bollworm, Pectinophora scutigera ( Noble & Walker , 1990 ). Using pteridines to determine insect age has been studied in a number of Dipteran species in which light intensity, sex, and temperature may affect the relationship of pteridines with age ( Robson et al , 2006 ).…”

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“…Although primarily used in insects of medical and forensic importance, the use of pteridines in aging has recently been evaluated in other insects, such as the ant, Polyrhachis sexpinosa (Robson & Crozier 2009), and pink-spotted bollworm, Pectinophora scutigera (Noble & Walker 1990). However, few studies go beyond using pteridines as a tool to determine age.…”

“…Although they identified several pteridine compounds, 6-biopterin varied the most with age. Noble and Walker (Noble & Walker 1990) also isolated 6-biopterin from pink bollworm moths at increasing ages.…”