info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Critical threshold meal size and molt initiation in Rhodnius prolixus
Fecha
2017-12Registro en:
Saenz, Roberto A.; Medone, Paula; Di Clemente, Natalia Andrea; Tongen, Anthony; Rabinovich, Jorge Eduardo; Critical threshold meal size and molt initiation in Rhodnius prolixus; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Physiological Entomology (print); 42; 4; 12-2017; 336-345
0307-6962
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Saenz, Roberto A.
Medone, Paula
Di Clemente, Natalia Andrea
Tongen, Anthony
Rabinovich, Jorge Eduardo
Resumen
The molting process and body growth in Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) (Ståhl, 1859) are significantly influenced by the availability and quality of food. Based on the body weight of each stage, the present study provides estimates of a potential critical weight threshold required for molt initiation in R. prolixus. In addition, a new measure given by the area under the weight curve is proposed, which encapsulates both body weight and time. It is shown that this measure is consistent with the data, and allows the estimation of a pre-refractory period (i.e. the time interval between the moment at which the critical weight threshold is reached and the moment when no further meals are accepted). The present analysis estimates the critical weight threshold as 1.6, 5.3, 12.9, 42.0 and 97.0 mg for stages 1–5, respectively, whereas the values of the area under the curve threshold as 5, 16, 31.2, 159.7 and 329.9 mg days for stages 1–5, respectively. The results of the present study confirm the existence of a weight-dependent mechanism for the initiation of molting in R. prolixus.