U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Gelman, Daleitem
                                            Rojas, Maria

                                                         - *Guadalupe*item
                                            KELLY, THOMAS - DECEASEDitem
                                            Hu, Jing

                                                         - *Hu*item
                                            BELL, ROBERT - RETIRED
  Submitted to: Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/2000
                                    Publication  Date: N/A
                                    Citation: N/AInterpretive Summary: The Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is an important pest of potato, tomato and eggplant crops in North America, Europe and other countries throughout the world.  Each year beetle activity costs growers hundreds of millions of dollars.  Mass release of the parasitic wasp, Edovum puttleri, in New Jersey eggplant fields prevented CPB damage.  and eliminated the need for  additional pesticide application.  In addition, the eggplant fruit harvested was superior to that produced in fields which had been treated with chemical pesticides.  However, the high cost associated with mass producing parasites on CPB eggs has prevented the effective use of this biological control agent.  Development of an artificial diet composed of relatively low cost ingredients would help to alleviate this problem.  In this study, the nature and concentration of amino acids and molting hormone in the Colorado potato beetle egg was determined.  Physiologically-active  molting hormone and its immediate precursor were found to be present at lo levels in 0   48 hour-old eggs, eggs which are preferred by the parasite. Of the nine amino acids present in significant quantities in these eggs, histidine, glutamine and proline were most prevalent.  It is likely that the concentrations of amino acids and molting hormone reported here would be ideal for supporting the development of E. puttleri.  Our results will contribute to the creation and utilization of a cost-effective rearing system for the parasitic wasp and will also be useful in designing artificial diets for predators and parasites that feed on eggs of pest beetles.
                                Technical Abstract: In order to identify components of the Colorado potato beetle egg which may be required by E. puttleri (a parasitic wasp that parasitizes the egg stage of the CPB) to complete development, ecdysteroid and amino acid content of CPB eggs were analyzed.  Ecdysteroid titers were relatively low through day 2 post-oviposition and then increased sharply on day 3 post-oviposition.  E Eand 20HE were the only prominent ecdysteroids present in eggs sampled on days 0 and 1 post-ecdysis, and E, 20HE and 3 peaks containing more polar ecdysteroids (metabolic inactivation products) were present in eggs sampled on day 2.  Thus, at a time when parasitization of CPB eggs by E. puttleri is relatively high (0-48 h), physiologically-active ecdysteroid is present at concentrations between 50 and 200 pg/egg.  Ecdysone and 20HE reached their highest levels in day-3 eggs indicating that CPB embryos probably synthesize ecdysteroid which is required for the beetle to complete  embryonic development.  Regarding amino acid composition of CPB eggs, nine amino acids (histidine, glutamine, proline, asparagine, serine, glutamic acid, threonine, lysine and tyrosine) were present in significant quantities in eggs sampled at various times between 0 and 48 h post- oviposition.  The first three amino acids were present at concentrations that were approximately two - six times greater than the concentrations of the last six amino acids.  This is the first report concerning the concentrations of ecdysteroids and amino acids in beetle eggs in general and CPB eggs in particular, information which should facilitate the development of diets for both parasites and predators of pest species of beetles.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov