Endogenous corazonin signaling modulates the post-mating switch in behavior and physiology in females of the brown planthopper and
Zhang N, Su SC, Bu RT, Zhang Y, Yang L
Plant Signaling
Brown planthoppers can devastate an entire rice paddy in weeks — understanding what drives their explosive reproduction opens a path to disrupting their population booms before they reach your region's rice fields.
After a female brown planthopper mates, something inside her body changes: she stops looking for other mates and starts laying lots of eggs. Researchers found that a natural hormone called corazonin — made by the insect herself, not delivered by the male — is a key controller of this switch. Figuring out how this internal signal works could help scientists develop smarter ways to slow down these insects before they wipe out rice crops.
Key Findings
The insect's own hormone corazonin modulates post-mating behavioral changes in female brown planthoppers, including reduced receptivity to re-mating.
Corazonin signaling also increases oviposition (egg-laying) after mating, directly driving population growth.
This endogenous (internally produced) signaling pathway acts alongside male seminal factors, revealing a more complex dual-control system than previously understood.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered that a hormone called corazonin, produced naturally inside female brown planthoppers, controls how these rice-destroying insects behave after mating — reducing their interest in mating again and boosting egg-laying. This internal signaling pathway could become a new target for pest control.
Abstract Preview
Mating in insects typically triggers a post-mating response (PMR) in females, characterized by reduced receptivity to re-mating and increased oviposition, which ensures numerous and viable offsprin...
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