De-alation, flight muscle histolysis, and oocyte development in the striped ground cricket, Allonemobius fasciatus

ABSTRACT. Removal of hindwings from long-winged females of the striped ground cricket, Allonemobius fasciatus , DeGeer (Gryllidae), induces flight muscle histolysis and oocyte development. Such females develop oocytes as rapidly as do short-winged forms, while intact long-winged females retain their flight muscles and develop few oocytes.
Flight muscle histolysis occurs in starved long-winged females when they are de-alated. However, such females fail to mature oocytes. Implantation of corpora allata (CA) into long-winged females results in flight muscle histolysis as well as oocyte maturation even if their hindwings remain intact, indicating that flight muscle histolysis can take place without de-alation. It is likely that the CA are responsible for both flight muscle histolysis and oocyte development, and that CA activity is enhanced by de-alation.