Free amino acid and protein titers inAnthonomus grandis larvae venomized byBracon mellitor

Changes in the free amino acid levels of extracts from body whole homogenates of 3rd instar boll weevilAnthonomus grandis Boheman (Curculionidae) larvae which had been stung once by females of the ectoparasitoidBracon mellitor Say (Braconidae) were determined. Stung larvae exhibited an initial rise in free amino acid levels within 6 min after the venom was injected followed by a decline within 2h. A second free amino acid peak occurred 4 days after initial sting. Observed increases in free amino acid levels were always followed by synchronized decreases in total soluble proteins. The possible nutritional regulatory effect of ectoparasitoid venom on the physiology of the boll weevil is discussed.