
Meeting Abstract
Insects—especially holometabolous—undergo a complex metamorphosis in form and function from the immature to mature stage of their life cycle. Physiologically, metamorphosis is regulated by hormones, primarily juvenile hormone and ecdysone, which control different aspects of the metamorphic processes. However, much of our understanding of metamorphosis is based upon studies focusing on just a few model organisms, and connections between the physiological dynamics and their underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly described. Here, we simultaneously characterize the developmental physiology and corresponding molecular mechanisms of larval to adult metamorphosis in the alfalfa leaf cutter bee, Megachile rotundata. We measured the hemolymph titer of juvenile hormone III (JHIII) using a recently established UHPLC-MS/MS protocol. From these same individuals, we quantified the expression of genes that regulate JHIII synthesis, degradation, and reception in target tissues. While we did not directly assay ecdysone quantities in hemolymph for this study, we quantified expression of genes that regulate its synthesis and reception. This research integrates molecular mechanisms with overarching patterns in hormones controlling insect metamorphosis.