EFFECTS OF ALLATECTOMY AND OVARIECTOMY ON CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS IN CALLIPHORA-VOMITORIA (DIPTERA)

The relationships between female attractiveness, cuticular hydrocarbon s, and levels of juvenile hormone and ecdysteroids were studied in Cal liphora vomitoria. The experiments were conducted at 48 and 72 h post- emergence, according to attractiveness appearance and increase. The 48 -h-old allatectomized females were less attractive than the control fe males, whereas no changes occurred either in cuticular hydrocarbons to tal mass production or in the different hydrocarbon families. However, the 72-h-old allatectomized females were more attractive than the con trol females, and, in relative proportions, allatectomy led to an incr ease in monomethylalkanes and a decrease in n-alkanes. Only at 48 h we re the ovariectomized females less attractive than the control females and did ovariectomy increase the relative proportions of monomethylal kanes. At 72 h, ovariectomy did not influence female attractiveness, b ut it decreased the total cuticular hydrocarbon production. Allatectom y and ovariectomy significantly decreased ecdysteroids levels at 48 an d 72 h. Ovariectomy did not affect juvenile hormone production. These results suggest that attractiveness and cuticular hydrocarbon synthesi s could be under the direct control of ecdysteroids and the indirect i nfluence of juvenile hormone. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.