| 要旨トップ | 目次 | 日本生態学会第66回全国大会 (2019年3月、神戸) 講演要旨
ESJ66 Abstract


一般講演(ポスター発表) P1-409  (Poster presentation)

Structure and function of egg masses of Megaloptera: possible functions of female accessory gland materials

*Pei YU, Fumio Hayashi(TMU)

Megaloptera is one of holometabolous insect orders, containing two families with about 330 species worldwide. Eggs are vulnerable to enemies and also affected by environmental factors, so egg protection is important for females to increase reproductive success. However, it is not examined. Here structures and functions of egg masses in three Asian species of Megaloptera; Protohermes grandis, Acanthacorydalis asiatica, and Parachauliodes continentalis, were studied. Egg masses of P. grandis and A. asiatica are multilayered, but those of P. continentalis are only one layer. All the egg masses of three species are covered by secretions produced in female accessory glands. These secretions are quite different among species; brown sticky liquid in P. grandis, dark brown liquid in P. continentalis, and white powder in A. asiatica. Possible functions of these secretions were examined experimentally. Desiccation protection effects were tested by covering agarose gel with them. As a result, secretions of P. grandis and A. asiatica showed a remarkable moisture-keeping effect. The anti-predatory function was demonstrated by ant two-choice tests of sugar solutions with and without secretions, showing significant feeding deterrence only in P. grandis secretion. Thus, egg mass structures and female accessory gland materials are much divergent in Megaloptera.


日本生態学会