Sb. Ramaswamy et al., NEURONAL CONTROL OF POST-COITAL PHEROMONE PRODUCTION IN THE MOTH HELIOTHIS-VIRESCENS, The Journal of experimental zoology, 274(4), 1996, pp. 255-263
The mechanism involved in bringing about post-coital suppression of ph
eromone production, pheromonostasis, was studied in the noctuid moth H
eliothis virescens. Mating results in a transient suppression in phero
mone production, the signal for which appears to originate in the test
es and other components of the male's reproductive system. The mating-
induced pheromonostasis is due to an ascending signal via the central
nervous system that appears to inhibit the release of the pheromonotro
pin, pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN), or other p
otential pheromonotropic substances, and is not due to a refractorines
s in response of the sex pheromone glands to PBAN in the female. A sim
ilar mechanism is operative in several species of moths where post-coi
tal pheromonostasis has been observed. Sperm quality is not important
for pheromonostasis in H. virescens, because males with apyrene or eup
yrene sperm elicit similar pheromonostatic responses. The pheromonosta
tic activity of the ecdysteroid 20-OH-ecdysone appears to be the resul
t of a direct effect on the sex pheromone glands. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss,
Inc.