PYRRHOCORIS-APTERUS (HETEROPTERA) - AN EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL SPECIES - AREVIEW

The red firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.), has been a convenient model for biological research for a long time. The interest in P. apterus i ncreased especially with the discovery in the mid-1960's of the so-cal led ''paper factor'', i.e., a substance with juvenile hormone activity . Considerable research has been done on this model insect in research topics such as biogeography, embryology, developmental and reproducti ve biology, theoretical and applied endocrinology, biochemistry, cytog enetics and formal genetics, bionomics, ethology, pathology, voltinism , diapause, wing polymorphism, migration, pathogens, symbiotes and pre dators. Some of the newest studies are directed toward the problems of determination of metameric pattern, cold hardiness and biorhythms. Pr esent review provides the first selective summary of data published in almost 300 papers.