Why does insects moult

The pattern of retention or loss of the subimaginal moult in extant mayflies suggests that this moult may be necessary to complete elongation of caudal filaments and forelegs of adults. It is then analogous to the pupal moult of holometabolous insects. I propose that selection for wing efficiency has normally confined the presence of functional wings to one instar only, which is also the last and reproductive stage. Selection for light wings has generally caused the epidermis of membranous insect wings to degenerate, thereby precluding otherwise advantageous adult moults.

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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Sign In or Create an Account. Sign In. Advanced Search. Search Menu. Article Navigation. It is this outermost layer that sheds during a molt. Underneath the cuticle is the epidermis. It is responsible for secreting a new cuticle when it is time to shed the old one. Underneath the epidermis is the basement membrane.

In molting, the epidermis separates from the outermost cuticle. Then, the epidermis forms a protective layer around itself and secretes chemicals that break down the insides of the old cuticle. That protective layer becomes part of the new cuticle. Finally, the new cuticle hardens. The bug squeezes out from the outgrown exoskeleton. The insect must continue to swell and expand the new cuticle, so it is large enough to allow room for more growth.

The new overcoat is soft and much paler than the former one, but over a few hours, it becomes darker and begins to harden. Within a few days, the insect appears to be a slightly larger copy of its former self.

For some insects, a big benefit to having a system of molting for growth is that it allows damaged tissue and missing limbs to be regenerated or substantially reformed. Complete regeneration may require a series of molts, the stump becoming a little larger with each molt until it is a normal or nearly back to normal size. A major disadvantage to having to molt as a system of growth is that the animal in question is entirely incapacitated during the process.

An insect is completely vulnerable to a predator attack while undergoing molting. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Complex steroid-peptide-receptor cascade controls insect ecdysis.

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Insect Physiol. Download references. The authors acknowledge Prof. A special thanks to Roger Jonckers and Evelien Herinckx for their technical assistance in the locust breeding.

Box , Leuven, B, Belgium. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Molecular cloning and pharmacological characterization were performed by E. Dissections, transcript profiling and RNAi experiments were performed by C.

Transcriptome data assembly was performed by R. Design and supervision of the study, writing and correction of the manuscript were performed by C. Correspondence to Elisabeth Marchal. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4. Reprints and Permissions. Sci Rep 7, Download citation.

Received : 30 December Accepted : 16 March Published : 18 April Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Biological Trace Element Research By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines.

If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate. Advanced search. Skip to main content Thank you for visiting nature. Download PDF. Subjects Animal physiology Entomology. Abstract Insects are enclosed in a rigid exoskeleton, providing protection from desiccation and mechanical injury. Introduction An important reason why insects have been so undeniably successful on this planet is the protection provided to them by the presence of a rigid exoskeleton or cuticle.

Full size table. Full size image. Conclusion In conclusion, our data clearly indicate that ETH and its receptor are involved in the regulation of ecdysis in Schistocerca gregaria , thereby acting downstream of ecdysteroid signalling.