Cytophotometric Studies on the Nuclear DNA Content in Somatic Tissues ofSchistocerca GregariaForskål (Acrididae: Orthoptera)

Abstract

Cytophotometric analyses were done on nuclear DNA of epidermis, fat body and Malpighian tubes of S. gregaria hoppers of different ages within the 4th and 5th instars. The epidermis nuclei showed, in almost all the ages, a 2C value, whilst the fat body nuclei were mostly in 4C; from these results it is inferred that the epidermal cells are in G₁ and the fat body cells in G₂, when they display their highest activity. In the Malpighian tubes a wide range of DNA values were found, which are assumed to be related to differences in growth and differentiation of different segments composing each tube.