Question - what stimulates larva to pupate?

[gwang]

Hi,

Oh wow, would you happen to know if they kept the specimen after the
imago eclosed?  That must have been a huge sphingid!!!

Peace,
Xi Wang

Mark Youles wrote:
> 
> In article <3B4243F7.2770 at mb.sympatico.ca>, gwang <gwang at mb.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 
> > > It is interesting to note that the injection of this hormone into the
> > > 'mature' larval stages of some hawks moths (just prior larval 'shrinkage'
> > > and pupation) have been shown to delay the pupation process and induce a
> > > further 'giant' larval stage.
> >
> > Are you saying that instead of pupating, the larva would progress to a
> > further instar?  In which case, just what would be the maximum number of
> > instars a larva could go through?
> 
> Yep that's right.  From what I remember the experiments were conducted on
> the Death-head Hawk's.  The results were that the larva proceeded into
> giant 7th instar.  They then attempted to reinject the larva at the end of
> this stage also, but the this time the larve did pupate.
> 
> This IS however all from recollection!
> 
> Mark

 
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