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The Biological Clock of Insects

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David Saunders at The University of Edinburgh United Kingdom
David Saunders
  • The University of Edinburgh United Kingdom
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The Biological Clock of Insects
Author(s): D. S. Saunders
Source:
Scientific American
, Vol. 234, No. 2 (February 1976), pp. 114-121
Published by: Scientific American, a division of Nature America, Inc.
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/24950287
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     
       
           
    
     
    
      

 
     
 
      
      

    
      

       

     
   
      
    
  
 

      
     
     
       
   
       
    
    
     

    
       
     

   

 
       
      
     
      
   
    

   
       
     
     
      

    
     
    

       


  



     
  
       

     
   

     
      

      
    
   
     
       
    
      

  
    
     
    
     
     
   
    

    
   
     
      
      
      
      
   
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
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      
     
     
        
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 
     
      
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     
    
     
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     
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      

     
      
        
      
  
     

     
    
      
      
 
      
   
   
    
 
     
     
    
     
      
     
      
  
     
    

    
  
      
      
      
     

      
 
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
  
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
    
      
     
     


     
  
    


    
   

   

     

    
       
     
    
       
      
   
 
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
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   
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  
         
         
    
        
      

         
  
             
          
  
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    
        
     
       
             
         
         
    
     
          
      
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     
        
       
    
     
            
     

              
      
           

         
         
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
      
       
    
     
        
      

      
    
    
      
      
      
       
       
     
   
      
  
     
    
      
  
      

     
 

 
    
   
     
 
      
  
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      
      
    
     
     
      
    
      
 
    
   
       
      
     

      
      
    
       
      
      
      
      

  
     

      
     
       
  


     
    
      
     

 

     
     
    
 
 
  
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            
   
      
             
           
            
             
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 
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 
        
             
               
           
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       
     
      
   
      
     
     
       
      
     

    
     
      
     
     
       
       
     
   
     
    
    

         
             
       
       
              
     
    
     

       
     
    

     
   
     
  
     
   
     

         
           
     
       
         
           

   
   
    
    
   
      
       
     
 
      
    
      
      
     
    
      
     
    
      
      

   
    
    
    
      


      
     
      
      
     
     
      
    
    
     
 
     
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     

 
       
       
  
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      
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     
      
      
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     
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        
     
   
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    
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 
    
    
  

 
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      
  
     
    
     

   
    

      
    
     
      
      
      

      
      
 

      

    
   
    
    
   

    
 
     
      

    
     
      
     
     

       
 

 
   
     
     
    
      
       
      

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 
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



 



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

          
         
           
               
                 
              
             
                
             
               
            
                
             
               

© 1976 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC
This content downloaded from
58.153.160.139 on Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:07:19 UTC
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
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     
        
     
          

        
        
          
         
© 1976 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC
This content downloaded from
58.153.160.139 on Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:07:19 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 

  

  
      
      

 
     
     
  
   
      
      
     

   
     


 
     

   
    
 
      
   
       
  
  
    
     
 
   
   
    

      
     
      

    
     
      



     
      
     
      


       
     
    
    
 
   
    
 
   

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         
         
            
          
           
            
           
              
            
           
             
           
           
           
            
           
    
    
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
      

   
     


    
 
     


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... The study by Gilbert and Raworth (2005) on the migration of Pieris rapae in the Pyrenees mountain chain in France gave evidence that the density of the flow begins to decline steeply about 2 hours after solar noon (i.e. about 1450 h -more or less matching with 1550 h AEDT in Melbourne) due to the species' circadian rhythm, a mechanism which measures the length of the day and night (Saunders, 1976). The piecemeal data from the event in Greater Melbourne in summer give circumstantial support that a similar periodicity influences the behavior of Australian populations to some extent. ...
... Thereafter a sharp decline takes place during mid-afternoon by about 1530 h (which is 5 h & 28 min before sunset at 2058 h solar time in France, i.e. 2158 h DST). And in terms of a dusk-starting clock which presents in some insect orders (Saunders, 1976), this is about 17.5 h after dusk. Then for the remainder of the afternoon and early evening in that country no adults were migrating (Gilbert & Raworth, 2005). ...
A second remarkable migration of the Small Cabbage White Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in the Melbourne region of Victoria, Australia which took place in February 2024, with evidence of extensive post-migratory clustering in neighboring bush lands
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  • May 2024
A moderate-sized migration of the Small Cabbage White Pieris rapae (L.) travelling east-south-easterly through metropolitan Melbourne in late summer 2024 was not just an unexpected event (as there had been a migration just a few weeks early in November) but it ‘dumped’ in its wake an extraordinary number of adults in the residential area. At its peak, the summer flow reached a density of about 9,420 adults per kilometer per hour with a migratory frontline probably spanning all of the eastern Port Phillip Region. As with the event in spring 2023, the counts for the summer one took place on sports ovals in most cases so that a wide unobstructed view of the movements would be gained, which would ease both quantitative and qualitative data-gathering. Almost none of the adults crossing the sports grounds during the watch periods in summer were seen to settle on the turf in spite of the high temperatures that prevailed and the wind gusts that arose at times, quite unlike what was seen in spring. And of those that chose to do so in the intense mid-afternoon heat (c. 37 °C) some perished in a short time, being found semidried in late afternoon still grasping the grass leaves. While the single dataset showed a pronounced diurnal shift in migratory density between early and late afternoon on the day of the heat-wave, the movement was diurnally protracted, continuing long after similar movements in upland south-western Europe would have ceased for the day. Once the movement had peaked, three independent flows were detected which indicated that the migratory event was a complex one. The main east-south-easterly movement was augmented by two minor northerly and southerly flows (the first of which was, for the most part, against the wind). The movement showed no build-up the day before and tapered steeply after the third day. The counts gained on the fourth day were slightly above the baseline data – as defined by the results of the control counts done in early summer to compare with the spring event (and opportunistically, with this new one too). These lightly elevated tallies may have been evidence of weak migratory or random linear movements or a mix of both, depending on whether the participants were immigrants (migratory individuals) or were from a local deme (non-migratory individuals) or both. At the close of the day of the peak flow a small overnight camp was found forming along the edge of woodland after a targeted search along the route of one flight stream but it was not as large as the one seen in the urban area in spring. The situation changed dramatically by the third day of the event when, in the late afternoon, flying, settling and roosting butterflies had become ubiquitous in the southeastern suburbs. Overnight camps of up to 15 adults began to form in at least one conservation reserve in late afternoon and early evening – the multitude and likes of which have never been seen before in Australia. These camps of clustered adults in Greater Melbourne were common enough to gain media attention; indeed, some seen outside of the study areas in this report included spectacular numbers. In addition, vast numbers of flying adults were reportedly seen in northern central Victoria during mid and late summer, and whether these were from other spontaneous migratory waves or from acute local irruptions or a mix of both are less than clear. Although migration in P. rapae is commonplace in parts of Europe, it is a very rare happening in southern Australia, and that makes the occurrence of two events of moderate density in quick succession in spring and summer stand out as extraordinary. Estimates of the density of adults at three sites in the first week of February ranged from 5.7 to 37.5 per 1,000 m2 per minute and these reckonings too are extraordinary, the minimal score being 335-fold above the baseline density.
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The role of education in the formation of human capital
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  • Mar 2025
The article is devoted to determining the role of education in the management of human resources, in their qualitative formation. The authors consider in detail the principles of the concept of human capital, which create the basis for its economic development and labor productivity, it is knowledge, skills, experience and qualification. The authors conducted a review of the literature of foreign and domestic authors on the emerging principles of the concept of human capital, revealing the relationship between learning and adaptation, between health and labor productivity, as well as social ties and networks that affect success in labor and social activities. The study analyzes the literacy level of the population of Kazakhstan, which shows the degree of possibility of realizing the country’s potential. The analysis of literacy and assessment of the level of education of the country’s population was presented in the context of regions, which allowed to identify the existing problems in obtaining education and professional competencies in the regions. As a result, the authors concluded that human capital plays a critical role in the development of the economy and society as a whole. Investments in education help to increase labor productivity, promote innovative development and improve the quality of life.
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Expression of a pheromone binding protein affected by timeless gene governs female mating behavior in Bactrocera dorsalis
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Background The rhythmic mating behavior of insects has been extensively documented, yet the regulation of this behavior through sex pheromone sensing olfactory genes affected by the clock genes in the rhythm pathway remains unclear. Results In this study, we investigated the impact of circadian rhythm on female recognition of male rectal Bacillus-produced sex pheromone in B. dorsolis. Behavioral and electrophysiological assays revealed a peak in both mating behavior and response to sex pheromones in the evening in females. Comparative transcriptome analysis of female heads demonstrated rhythmic expression of the Timeless gene-Tim and odorant binding protein gene-Pbp5, with the highest expression levels occurring in the evening. Protein structural modeling, tissue expression patterns, RNAi treatment, and physiological/behavioral studies supported Pbp5 as a sex pheromone binding protein whose expression is affected by Tim. Furthermore, manipulation of the female circadian rhythm resulted in increased morning mating activity, accompanied by consistent peak expression of Tim and Pbp5 during this time period. These findings provide evidence that insect mating behavior can be modulated by clock genes through their effects on sex pheromone sensing processes. Conclusions Our results also contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying rhythmic insect mating behavior.
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A timeless gene-regulated pheromone binding protein governs female mating behavior in Bactrocera dorsalis
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  • Sep 2024
The rhythmic mating behavior of insects has been extensively documented, yet the regulation of this behavior through sex pheromone sensing olfactory genes controlled by the clock genes in the rhythm pathway remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of circadian rhythm on female recognition of male rectal Bacillus-produced sex pheromone in B. dorsolis. Behavioral and electrophysiological assays revealed a peak in both mating behavior and response to sex pheromones in the evening in females. Comparative transcriptome analysis of female heads demonstrated rhythmic expression of the Timeless gene-Tim and odorant binding protein gene-Pbp5, with highest expression levels occurring in the evening. Protein structural modeling, tissue expression patterns, RNAi treatment, and physiological/behavioral studies supported Pbp5 as a sex pheromone binding protein whose expression is regulated by Tim. Furthermore, manipulation of female circadian rhythm resulted in increased morning mating activity, accompanied by consistent peak expression of Tim and Pbp5 during this time period. These findings provide evidence that insect mating behavior can be modulated by clock genes through their effects on sex pheromone sensing processes. Our results also contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying rhythmic insect mating behavior.
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