Meeting Abstract

P2.143  Saturday, Jan. 5  Establishing the Presence of a Circadian Rhythm Regulating Ecdysis in the Stick Insect, Carausius morosus. WADSWORTH, T*; CARRIMAN, A; FUSE, M; San Francisco State University ttww86@gmail.com

Circadian rhythms are involved in behavior modifications of an organism to allow for behavioral processes to occur during the least vulnerable and most beneficial times of the day. To determine if there is a circadian rhythm regulating the onset of ecdysis in the stick insect, Carausius morosus, a population of 32 stick insects, 2 weeks after hatching, were marked with white-out and placed in their own labeled jars within a controlled environment, influenced only by varying light regimes. A 17h light: 7h dark photoperiod and its reversed light regime were used. A hands-free video system recorded the insects and precise timing of ecdysis behaviors, as characterized by the shedding of the white-out marked cuticle, was assessed from the video footage. Data showed that the majority of insects ecdysed just before lights on for all photoperiods, suggesting that light was the influential zeitgeber. Establishing the presence of a circadian rhythm regulating ecdysis in the stick insect will allow for identification of vulnerable times to be targeted for eco-friendly pesticides as well as to facilitate further understanding of behavioral processes that are conserved within hemi and holometabolous insects.