Time of Determination and Time of Differentiation of Aphid Wings

Abstract

Aphids destined to be wingless have thickenings of the hypodermis in the wing-bud region for some time before birth, but these disappear during the 1st instar. The extra thickening which indicates definitive wing production begins shortly after pigment is first laid down in the compound eyes. By using the eye pigment as an indicator of stage development, it is shown that definitive wing differentiation begins approx. 22 hrs. before birth. Earlier expts. had indicated that wings are detd. about 34 hrs. before birth. The lag of differentiation behind determination is therefore about 12 hrs.