Abstract
What are the major constraints that affect the water balance of insects? Most insects live in the terrestrial environment and under most conditions (loosely where the relative humidity is less than 98%) this environment is a drying one (Edney, 1977). Insects, because they are very small relative to most other terrestrial organisms, have a higher surface area/volume ratio. This suggests that particularly for them, life on land poses acute problems of maintaining water content; they seem certain to be prone to desiccation. On the other hand, insects living in fresh water or water whose osmotic concentration is less than that of their haemolymph are likely to face exactly the opposite problem - they have to cope with a constant surplus of water as a result of osmotic influx. Understandably, then virtually all accounts of insect osmoregulation have concentrated on adaptations for water conservation in terrestrial insects and for water elimination in insects living in dilute waters. Of the systems that allow insects to cope with these problems we are here mainly concerned with the excretory system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alexander, R. McN. (1971). Size and Shape. Arnold, London.
Altman, G. (1956) Die Regulation des Wasserhaushaltes der Honigbiene. Insectes soc. 3, 33–40.
Berridge, M.J. (1975) The physiology of excretion in the cotton stainer, Dysdercus fasciatus Signoret. IV. Hormonal control of excretion. J. exp. Biol. 44, 553–566.
Bertsch, A. (1984) Foraging in male bumblebees (Bombus lucorum L.): maximizing energy or minimizing water load? Oecologia 62, 325–336.
Bradley, T.J. & Phillips, J.E. (1977) The location and mechanism of hyperosmotic fluid secretion in the rectum of the saline-water mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus. J. exp. Biol. 66, 111–126.
Cazal, M. & Girardie, A. (1968). Controle humoral de l’equilibre hydrique chez Locusta migratoria migratorioides. J. Insect Physiol. 14, 655–668.
Cockbain, A.J. (1961) Water relationships of Aphis fabae during tethered flight. J. exp. Biol. 38, 175–180.
Dores, R.M., Dallmann, S.H. & Herman, W.S. (1979) The regulation of post-eclosion and post-feeding diuresis in the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. J. Insect Physiol. 25, 895–901.
Edney, E.B. (1977) Water Balance in Land Arthropods. Springer, Heidelberg.
Gee, J.D. (1976) Active transport of sodium by the Malpighian tubules of the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans. J. exp. Biol. 64, 357–368.
Gringorten, J.L. & Friend, W.G. (1979) Haemolymph volume changes in Rhodnius prolixus during flight. J. exp. Biol. 83, 325–333.
Kestler, P. (1985) Respiration and respiratory water loss. In Environmental Physiology and Biochemistry (ed. K.H. Hoffmann ). Springer, Heidelberg.
Knowles, G. (1976) The action of the excretory apparatus of Calliphora vomitoria in handling injected sugar solution. J. exp. Biol. 64, 131–140.
Maddrell, S.H.P. (1962) A diuretic hormone in Rhodnius prolixus Stal. Nature, Lond. 194, 605–606.
Maddrell, S.H.P. (1980) The control of water relations in insects. In Insect Biology in the Future (eds. D.S. Smith & M. Locke ). Academic Press, New York.
Maddrell, S.H.P. (1981) The functional design of the insect excretory system. J. exp. Biol. 90, 1–15.
Maddrell, S.H.P. (1982) Insects: small size and osmoregulation. In A Companion to Animal Physiology (eds. C.R. Taylor, K. Johansen & L. Bolis ). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Maddrell, S.H.P. and Phillips, J.E. (1978) Induction of sulphate transport and hormonal control of fluid secretion by Malpighian tubules of larvae of the mosquiteo, Aedes taeniorhynchus. J. exp. Biol. 75, 133–145.
Mills, R.R. (1967) Hormonal control of excretion in the American cockroach. I. Release of a diuretic hormone from the terminal abdominal ganglion. J. exp. Biol. 46, 35–41.
Mordue, W. (1969) Hormonal control of Malpighian tubules and rectal function in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. J. Insect Physiol. 15, 273–285.
Nicolson, S.W. (1976) The hormonal control of diuresis in the Cabbage white butterfly, Pieris brassicae. J. exp. Biol. 65, 565–575.
Nicolson, S.W. and Hanrahan, S.A. (1986) Diuresis in a desert beetle? Hormonal control of the Malpighian tubules of Onymacris plana (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). J. Comp. Physiol. B 156, 407–413.
Nicolson, S.W. and Louw, G.N. (1982) Simultaneous measurement of evaporative water loss, oxygen consumption and thoracic temperature during flight in a carpenter bee. J. exp. Zool. 222, 287–296.
Nijhout, H.F. and Carrow, G.M. (1978) Diuresis after a blood-meal in female Anopheles freeborni. J. Insect Physiol. 24, 293–298.
Nunez, J.A. (1956) Untersuchungen uber die Regelung des Wasserhaushaltes bei Anisotarsus cupripennis Germ. Z. vergl. Physiol. 38, 341–354.
O’Donnell, M.J., Maddrell, S.H.P. & Gardiner, B.O.C. (1984) Passage of solutes through walls of Malpighian tubules of Rhodnius by paracellular and transcellular routes. Am. J. Physiol. 264, R759–R769.
Pasedach-Poeverlein, K. (1941) Uber das “Spritzen” der Bienen und uber die Konzentrationsanderung ihres Honigblaseninhalts. Z. vergl. Physiol. 28, 197–210.
Phillips, J.E. (1964) Rectal absorption in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal. III. The nature of the excretory process. J. exp. Biol. 41, 69–80.
Phillips, J.E. (1969) Osmotic regulation and rectal absorption in the blowfly, Calliphora erythrocephala. Can. J. Zool. 47, 851–863.
Phillips, J., Spring, J., Hanrahan, J., Mordue, W. & Meredith, J. (1982) Hormonal control of salt reabsorption by the excretory system of an insect. Isolation of a new protein. In Neurosecretion: Molecules, Cells, Systems (eds. D.S. Farner & K. Lederis ), Plenum, New York.
Pilcher, D.E.M. (1970) Hormonal control of the Malpighian tubules of the stick insect, Carausius morosus. J. exp. Biol. 52, 653–665.
Ramsay, J.A. (1950) Osmotic regulation in mosquito larvae. J. exp. Biol. 27, 145–157.
Ryerse, J.S. (1978) Developmental changes in Malpighian tubule fluid transport. J. Insect Physiol. 24, 315–319.
Schwartz, L.M. and Reynolds, S.E. (1979) Fluid transport in Calliphora Malpighian tubules: a diuretic hormone from the thoracic ganglion and abdominal nerves. J. Insect Physiol. 25, 847–854.
Weis-Fogh, T. (1964) Diffusion in insect wing muscle, the most active tissue known. J. exp. Biol. 41, 229–256.
Wigglesworth, V.B. (1953) The Principles of Insect Physiology, 5th edition. Methuen, London.
Williams, S.C. and Beyenbach, K.W. (1983) Differential effects of secretagogues on Na and K secretion in the Malpighian tubules of Aedes aegypti (L.). J. comp. Physiol. 149, 511–517.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1986 The Humana Press Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Maddrell, S. (1986). Hormonal Control of Diuresis in Insects. In: Bořkovec, A.B., Gelman, D.B. (eds) Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology · 1986. Experimental and Clinical Neuroscience. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4832-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4832-3_4
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9181-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4832-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive