Regulation of Insect Reproduction

Reproductive success is crucial to the persistence of insect and other animal populations. The basic processes of reproduction common to almost all insects can be divided into three categories: (1) gametogenesis to prepare mature sperm and eggs, (2) attraction of males through female pheromones, and (3) sperm transfer through mating and induction of female post-mating responses. Previous studies have shown that multiple crucial peptide hormones regulate the reproductive processes. This chapter focuses on the function of these identified peptide hormones, particularly those required for the proper control of egg maturation, pheromone biosynthesis, and female post-mating responses. The peptide hormones described in this chapter are neuroparsin, ovary-maturating parsin, ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone, neuropeptide F, short neuropeptide F, insulin-like peptides, allatostatin-C, calcitonin-like diuretic hormone, corazonin, ecdysis-triggering hormone, trypsin-modulating oostatic factor, pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide, and sex peptide. These hormones are crucial, at least in part, for regulating reproduction in response to external environmental cues, such as temperature, photoperiod, nutrition, and mating stimuli.