LOCUSTAMYOINHIBIN-LIKE (LOM-MIH) IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE HEAD GANGLIAOF THE INSECTS NEOBELLIERIA-BULLATA, MAMESTRA-BRASSICAE, LEPTINOTARSA-DECEMLINEATA AND LEUCOPHAEA-MADERAE

A polyclonal antibody raised against locustamyoinhibin (Lom-MIH), a my oinhibiting neuropeptide of the locust Locusta migratoria, was used to search for locustamyoinhibin-like immunoreactivity in the central ner vous system of the gray fleshfly, Neobellieria bullata, the Colorado p otato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, the cabbage moth, Mamestra br assicae and the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae. In L. maderea, immunore active cells are present in the pars intercerebralis (PI), in nerve fi bers leading to the corpus cardiacum (CC) and in the CC themselves. In N. bullata, three groups of cells are positive: one in the PI, one in the pars lateralis and one in the suboesophageal ganglion. In M. bras sicae, there are only positive cells in the PI. No immunoreactivity wa s found in L. decemlineata. These results indicate, that the presence of Lom-MIH immune-like molecules is not restricted to the orthopterans , and that they can be localized in different parts of the head gangli a.