Impact of Reproductive Activities on the Tissues of <em>Zonocerus</em> <em>variegatus</em> Grasshopper Adults (Orthoptera: Pygomorphidae)
Abstract
The adult phase of insects’ life is primarily for reproduction of young ones that makes continuity of life possible. The influence of reproductive activities like mating and oviposition were investigated in adult males and females variegated grasshopper, Zonocerus variegatus. The adult stage was divided into four phases according to activities performed following days of emergence, namely: early somatic phase, late somatic phase, copulation and oviposition. During each phase, the insects were dissected and the somatic tissues (haemolymph, fat body and femoral muscles) were removed analyzed for both organic and inorganic substances. The mean concentration of organic substances (protein, glucose and lipids) and inorganic substances (Na+, K+,ca2+, and Cl-) in both sexes’ tissues increased significantly (p < 0.05) from early somatic to late somatic phase. However, there was a significant decrease in concentration of the metabolites in the three tissues during copulation in both sexes which further decreased during oviposition in female adult. In contrast to the female, there was increase in the concentration of the metabolites after copulation in the male adult. Copulation and oviposition are activities that exhaust tissues nutrients in adult Zonocerus variegatus.La fase adulta de vida de los insectos es mayormente para la reproducción de progenies que hace posible la continuidad de la vida. Se investigó la influencia de las actividades reproductivas, como el apareamiento y la oviposición en los machos y hembras adultos del saltamonte variegado, Zonocerus variegatus. Se dividió el estadio adulto en las siguientes cuatro fases de acuerdo a las actividades realizadas después de días de emergencia: la fase somática temprano, la fase somática tardio, la cópula y oviposición. Durante cada fase, los insectos fueron disecados y los tejidos somáticos (hemolinfa, la grasa corporal y los músculos femorales) fueron obtenidos y analizados para sustancias orgánicas e inorgánicas. La concentración media de las sustancias orgánicas (proteínas, glucosa y lípidos) y sustancias inorgánicas (Na+, K+,Ca2+y Cl-) en los tejidos de ambos sexos se incrementó significativamente (p < 0.05) a partir de la fase somática temprano hasta la fase somática tardio. Sin embargo, hubo una disminución significativa en la concentración de los metabolitos en los tres tejidos durante la cópula en ambos sexos, que disminuyó aún más durante la oviposición en hembras adultas. En contraste con las hembras, hubo un aumento en la concentración de los metabolitos después de la cópula en el macho adulto. La cópula y oviposición son actividades que agota los nutrientes de los tejidos de los adultos de Zonocerus variegatus.
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