E. B. Vinogradova and S. Ya. Reznik

Influence of a Single (Stepwise) Change in Photoperiod and Female Age on Larval Diapause in the Blowfly Calliphora vicina R.-D. (Diptera, Calliphoridae)
Entomological Review, Vol. 82, No. 9, 2002, pp. 1190–1196.

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In the blowfly Calliphora vicina, the induction of the larval diapause is under double control, i.e., maternally operating photoperiod determines the progeny inclination to the diapause, which is manifested depending on temperature. The experiments with a single stepwise change of the photoperiodic conditions during the adult period of the parental life showed the possibility to alter the maternal influence, which determines the larval diapause in the progeny. A total of 18 combinations of photoperiods from different parts of the photoperiodic scale were studied. The physiological state of the flies and their progenies vary in accordance with the final photoperiod, i.e., there is no evidence of a stepwise photoperiodic response in Calliphora. The dependence of the larval diapause on the female age was confirmed. It was demonstrated for the first time that the configurations of the photoperiodic curves reflecting the maternal influence of the flies aged 20, 35, and 45 days are different. The role of the female photoperiodic response in the formation of the reserves of hibernating larvae in the temperate zone and the physiological mechanism of the maternal effect are discussed