The primary aim of the thesis was to investigate the nature and secretion of insect egg glues. Very little work has been done on this group of secretions, even though they are essential to the survival of a wide range of insect pest species. Knowledge of how they work could lead to the production of repellants or solvents which could be used as non-toxic means of control. Initial studies were performed on the cabbage white butterfly. Histological and histochemical techniques were employed to examine the structure and composition of the glue and glue glands. Separated glue was chemically analysed, and the amino acid composition of major protein components was determined. Butterflies were induced to lay eggs on a variety of surfaces, and the tensile strength of glue deposited in different chemical environments was investigated. The physical structure of the glue was examined. A treatment which destroyed the strength of butterfly glue was identified. Techniques perfected on the butterfly were then applied to the human clothing louse. A detailed examination of the louse reproductive system was carried out, using a combination of dissection, histology, and electron microscopy. The egg laying behaviour of head lice and clothing lice was compared with that reported in other species. The physical structure of the glue was investigated using polarised light and electron microscopy. The structure and formation of louse eggs was examined, including a study of the transmission of symbiotic organisms into developing oocytes. Development of embryos inside the body of the female was observed in some cases, and these were successfully cultured in vitro until they hatched. The respiratory openings of the louse egg were positively identified. The preference of lice for laying eggs on different fabrics was studied. An attempt was made to discourage lice from laying eggs on hair by coating it with Prolong. The possibility of using Prolong as a control method for developing eggs and active stages was assessed. Use of Prolong in combination with wetting agents was also investigated.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:597331 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Carter, David Gerald |
| Publisher | University of Cambridge |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/250982 |
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