Effects of synthetic juvenile hormone and a juvenile hormone analogue, methyl farnesoate dihydrochloride, on pupal development of the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor L.

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Abstract
The result of treating Tenebrio molitor L. pupae with synthetic juvenile hormone (JH) or a juvenile hormone analogue, methyl farnesoate dihydrochloride (DMF), is to arrest pupal development, producing pupal/adult intermediates. Both substances induced approximately 50% pupal/adult intermediates at a topically applied dose of 1 μg. The activity was greatly affected by the age of the pupa at the time of treatment, one- and two-day-old pupae being the most sensitive. Applied to four-day-old and older pupae complete metamorphosis to the adult was possible at a dose of 8 μg of synthetic JH and up to 200 μg for DMF. Doses above these levels merely increased toxicity without juvenilising activity.