Ciclo circadiano em vespas parasitóides

Journal of Insect Physiology 56 (2010) 805–812

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Insect Physiology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jinsphys

Circadian rhythms of adult emergence and activity but not eclosion in males of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis
Rinaldo C. Bertossa a,b,*, Jeroen van Dijk b, Domien G. Beersma a, Leo W. Beukeboom b a b

Chronobiology, Center for Behavior and Neurosciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands Evolutionary Genetics, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, AA Haren, The Netherlands

A R T I C L E I N F O

A B S T R A C T

Article history: Received 23 November 2009 Received in revised form 10 February 2010 Accepted 11 February 2010 Keywords: Hymenoptera Haplo-diploid Endogenous circadian system Parasitoid Free-running rhythm Eclosion and emergence

An endogenous circadian system is responsible for the rhythms observed in many physiological and behavioural traits in most organisms. In insects, the circadian system controls the periodicity of eclosion, egg-laying, locomotor and mating activity. The parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis has been extensively used to study the role of the circadian system in photoperiodism. In this study, behavioural activities expected to be under the control of the endogenous circadian system were characterized in Nasonia. Male emergence from the host puparium is rhythmic under light–darkness conditions while eclosion from the own pupal integument is not rhythmic but continuous. Following entrainment in light–dark conditions, males show robust free-running circadian activity rhythms with a period (t, tau) of approximately 25.6 h in constant darkness. While the endogenous circadian system is enough to trigger male emergence in Nasonia, light seems to have a modulatory effect: when present it induces more males to emerge. Our results add to the understanding of