Section 2: PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DEVELOPMENT 



OF INSECTS 



FURTHER STUDIES ON THE FUNCTION OF THE NEUROSECRETORY 

 BRAIN CELLS OF THE ADULT CALLIPHORA FEMALE 



Дальнейшие исследования по изучению функции нейросекреторных 

 клеток и мо;»ге самки Calliphora erythrocephala 



Е. THOMSEN and I. MÖLLER 



(Zoological Laboratory and Department of Physiology of the Royal 

 Veterinary and Agricultural College, Copenhagen, Denmark) 



During later years a great many papers have been published on the problem 

 of neurosecretion both in invertebrates and vertebrates. But our knowledge 

 of the function of the neurosecretory cells is still rather meagre. 



In insects, work has so far mainly been concerned with the role of these 

 cells in growth and metamorphosis. The main result is that during the post- 

 embryonic development of insects neurosecretory cells of the brain in an un- 

 known way activate the thoracic glands which in turn produce the moulting 

 hormone. 



Apart from Calliphora the f miction of the medial neurosecretory cells (m. 

 n. c.) of the imago has so far only been studied in a few other insects. 



Thus Dupont-Raabe (1952, 1954) showed that in contrast to Calliphora 

 the phasmids Carausius morosus (Brun.) and Clitumnus extradentatus are able 

 to produce eggs in the absence of the m. n. c, but fewer eggs were produced. 

 Recently this finding has been corroborated by Johansson (1958) in his very 

 through study of the endocrine system of the bug Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dall.). 

 Besides the reduction in the number of eggs produced, the rate of develop- 

 ment was found to be slowed down. 



Furthermore Nayar (1958) has ]iroduced evidence in the bug Iphita that 

 the neurohormone from the m. n. с provokes oviposition. To our knowledge 

 this is all that has hitherto been publishedonthefunction of the т.п. с in adult 

 insects. 



The present study deals with the function of the m. n. с of the brain of the 

 adult Calliphora erythrocephala female. 



Previous investigations by one of us (E. Thomsen, 1952, 1956) on the 

 function of the m. n. c. of the adult Calliphora have revealed that an extirpa- 



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