Respiratory metabolism of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemipetra: Aphididae)

0380150 - BC 2013 RIV CZ eng J - Journal Article
Sláma, Karel - Jedlička, Pavel
Respiratory metabolism of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemipetra: Aphididae).
European Journal of Entomology. Roč. 109, č. 4 (2012), s. 491-502. ISSN 1210-5759. E-ISSN 1802-8829
R&D Projects: GA ČR GP522/09/P382
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : Hemiptera * Aphididae * Acyrthosiphon pisum
Subject RIV: ED - Physiology
Impact factor: 0.918, year: 2012
http://www.eje.cz/scripts/viewabstract.php?abstract=1734

The respiratory metabolism of different polyphenic forms of the pea aphid, including wingless and winged asexual females (virginoparae), sexual females (oviparae) and winged or wingless adult males, was investigated using a micro-respirographic method. The records revealed sub-nanoliter amounts per min of O-2 consumption or CO2 output. Respiratory metabolism of individuals was monitored for 3 to7 h after removal of the aphid from the food plant. Most of the recordings were for relatively large (3.5 mg), wingless asexual females (virginoparae). These aphids exhibited a continuous and very regular respiratory gas exchange (example: specimen of 3.5 mg body mass consumed 180 nl of O-2 per min; released simultaneously 300 nl CO2 per min; = standard metabolic rate of 3085 mu l O-2/g/h; R.Q. = 1.66). This continuous pattern of respiration occurred only when the aphids were kept at relatively high humidity. By contrast, aphids of various seasonal forms exhibited discontinuous respiratory gas exchange when kept in relatively dry air (atmospheric, room conditions). These patterns can be briefly described as follows: (a) Short and rather small micro-cycles of CO2 emission, manifested usually by the sudden expiration of 60-120 nl of CO2 once every 5 min; (b) Larger bursts of 240-480 nl of CO2 with a periodicity of one hour; (c) Enormously large, discontinuous bursts of 10-14 mu l CO2, duration 10-30 min, repeated with a periodicity of several hours. There was no constant pattern of diffusive CO2 emission (DGC). The aphids exhibited a pattern of CO2 release that was appropriate for the external conditions, such as temperature and humidity, and internal physiological conditions such as metabolic activity, availability of reserve substances (carbohydrate, lipid) and water.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0007129