What does determine gonad weight in the wild kissing bug Mepraia spinolai
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
102(2): 233-235, Mar. 2007. tab, graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-447549
ABSTRACT
Female fecundity increases with body size in a variety of insects, but it is unknown if this generalization applies for kissing bugs. In this study, we evaluate whether gonad weight in the bloodsucking insect Mepraia spinolai correlates with body size, or determined by nutrition or developmental time. We found that the investment on reproductive tissue correlates positively and significantly with body size and with the amount of ingested blood by female insects along their lifespan. Total molting time did not significantly affect gonad weight. We suggest that under optimal feeding conditions M. spinolai females could express their maximum reproductive potential.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Reduviidae
/
Feeding Behavior
/
Gonads
/
Insect Vectors
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
2007
Type:
Article
/
Project document
Affiliation country:
Chile
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidad de Chile/CL
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