Summary
Flight performance in locusts is a function of age, with its peak value at 18 days after emergence. While allatectomy retards the normal development of flight capability, it also has the effect of slowing down the decline in flight performance characteristic of operated control locusts as they age. Periodic topical application of synthetic juvenile hormone remedies the initial effect of allatectomy but its effectiveness wears off with age. The period of optimum flight performance is prolonged in locusts allatectomised when mature.
A characteristic features of the flight pattern of immature-allatectomised and matureallatectomised locusts when flown about one week after the operation is a rapid decline in flight speed during the first 20 minutes of flight. Eventually, as the allatectomised locusts age, they assume the flight pattern of normal locusts and subsequent differences in flight performance between operated and normal locusts are confined to differences in flight intensity.
Allatectomy has no marked effect on the preflight haemolymph total lipid and carbohydrate levels, the mobilisation of lipid and the amount of carbohydrate depleted. The quantity of lipid mobilised is, however, related to flight performance in both allatectomised and operated control locusts. Locusts which fly faster mobilise more lipid. The lipids mobilised by the adipokinetic hormone are 16∶18; 18∶18 and 16∶16 diglycerides in order of abundance. Allatectomy has no effect on the nature of these diglycerides released during flight.
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Lee, S.S., Goldsworthy, G.J. Allatectomy and flight performance in maleLocusta migratoria . J Comp Physiol B 100, 351–359 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691055
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691055