Abstract
Forcipomyia taiwana is an irritating hematophagous midge that preferentially attacks humans and affects leisure industries in Taiwan. Understanding the female reproductive biology of such pests would facilitate the development of pest control strategies. However, knowledge about oogenesis in the genus Forcipomyia is unavailable. Accordingly, we examined the ovariole structure and features of oogenesis in terms of the oocyte and the nurse cell. After being blood-fed, we observed a high degree of gonotrophic harmony—the synchronization of developing follicles. The follicle of the F. taiwana has only one nurse cell connected to the oocyte, which is distinct among hematophagous midges. In the nurse cell, we identified the perinuclear localization of the germline marker, Vasa. The Vasa localization is reminiscent of the nuclear envelope-associated nuage observed by electron microscopy. To determine whether F. taiwana Vasa (FtVasa) is an authentic nuage component, we produced transgenic flies expressing FtVasa in the female germline and proved that FtVasa was able to be localized to Drosophila nuage. By characterizing the oogenesis and Vasa expression in the germline cells of F. taiwana, this study extends knowledge about the female reproductive biology of hematophagous midges.
Highlights
Forcipomyia taiwana, first reported in 1913 by Shiraki [1], is a major nuisance hematophagous midge in the urban and suburban areas of Taiwan
To further provide the evidence to show that F. taiwana Vasa (FtVasa) had the ability to localize to the nuage, we examined the localization of FtVasa in Drosophila nurse had the ability to localize to the nuage, we examined the localization of FtVasa in Drosophila nurse cells marker of of the the nuage nuage had had not not yet yet been been identified identified in in F
The hematophagous midge F. taiwana has a high degree of gonotrophic harmony after a blood meal
Summary
Forcipomyia taiwana, first reported in 1913 by Shiraki [1], is a major nuisance hematophagous midge in the urban and suburban areas of Taiwan. The prevalence of this midge was reported to be seasonal from April to September, and massive swarms of such midges can be observed in regions with cultivations and moderately moist conditions [2]. The ovary of the female dipterans is composed of ovarioles of the polytrophic-meroistic type, in which the oocyte and nurse cells of an individual follicle are closely associated and enclosed by a single-layer of the follicular epithelium. According to the extent of the deposition of yolk in the oocytes, the oocyte developmental stages can be categorized in two sequential stages: previtellogenesis and vitellogenesis
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