Morphological basis of cardiac glycoside sequestration by Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)

Experiments with a labelled glycoside as well as retrograde ink injections suggest that O. fasciatus concentrates cardiac glycosides, normally derived from the host plants, within the vacuolated epidermal cell layer throughout its life cycle. In the adult, droplets of glycoside-rich fluid appear at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zoomorphology 1982-01, Vol.99 (2), p.87-101
Main Authors: Scudder, G.G.E, Meredith, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal anatomy
animal morphology
arthropods
entomology
Lygaeidae
Oncopeltus fasciatus
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Summary:Experiments with a labelled glycoside as well as retrograde ink injections suggest that O. fasciatus concentrates cardiac glycosides, normally derived from the host plants, within the vacuolated epidermal cell layer throughout its life cycle. In the adult, droplets of glycoside-rich fluid appear at precise points along the dorsolateral margins when external pressure is applied to the thorax and abdomen. This pressure causes separation of cuticular flanges in the metathoracic epimeral lobe and rupture of the cuticle in restricted areas in the mesothorax and abdomen. In addition the pigmented epidermal cell layer and the distal membranes of the vacuolated epidermal cell layer rupture with the result that the contents of the vacuolated cell layer are eliminated onto the surface of the animal where they are retained as discrete droplets by the cuticular morphology.
ISSN:0720-213X
1432-234X
DOI:10.1007/BF00310302