Browsing by Author "Desh Deepak Chaudhary"

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Biotic factors as key determinants for ovarian and oothecal developmental plasticity of a tortoise beetle
(Elsevier GmbH, 2024) Ruchita Shivprakash Tiwari; Lankesh Yashwant Bhaisare; Shivani Pathak; Bhupendra Kumar; Desh Deepak Chaudhary
Ovarian development in r-selected species is a highly dynamic process widely studied in various insect groups. An array of biotic and abiotic factors may influence it. So, the present investigation was to evaluate the impact of a female's age and mating status on the ovarian development, ootheca formation, body colour polymorphism, and fat content of the tortoise beetle, Aspidomorpha miliaris (Fabricius). Females of a certain age and mating status were dissected to demonstrate changes in their ovarioles, lateral oviduct, accessory gland, elytral colour, fat body content, and body size. It was predicted that age or mating status would not affect the ovarian parameters like length and width of ovarioles, lateral oviducts, accessory glands, body size, fat body content, and elytral colour. However, the ootheca-forming modifications would be initiated by ageing and mating. The current study demonstrated the substantial effect of age and mating status on the growth of the accessory glands and ovarioles. On the other hand, fat body contents declined comparatively in multiply-mated females. Besides this, the beetle exhibits elytral colour polymorphism till sexual maturity. An accessory gland was exclusively detected in multiply-mated females. This discovery opens opportunities for further investigation into the precise function of the gland, which is likely involved in the formation of ootheca. © 2024 Elsevier GmbH
Functional response in coccinellid beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is modified by prey-density experience
(Cambridge University Press, 2022) Desh Deepak Chaudhary; Bhupendra Kumar; Geetanjali Mishra; Omkar
In the present study, we assessed functional response curves of two generalist coccinellid beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), specifically Menochilus sexmaculatus and Propylea dissecta, using fluctuating densities of aphid prey as a stimulus. In what may be the first such study, we investigated how the prey density experienced during the early larval development of these two predatory beetle species shaped the functional response curves of the late instar–larval and adult stages. The predators were switched from their rearing prey-density environments of scarce, optimal, or abundant prey to five testing density environments of extremely scarce, scarce, suboptimal, optimal, or abundant prey. The individuals of M. sexmaculatus that were reared on either scarce- and optimal- or abundant-prey densities exhibited type II functional response curves as both larvae and adults. However, individuals of P. dissecta that were reared on scarce- and abundant-prey densities displayed modified type II functional response curves as larvae and type II functional response curves as adults. In contrast, individuals of P. dissecta reared on the optimal-prey density displayed type II functional response curves as larvae and modified type II functional response curves as adults. The fourth-instar larvae and adult females of M. sexmaculatus and P. dissecta also exhibited highest prey consumption (T/T h) and shortest prey-handling time (T h) on the scarce-prey rearing density. Thus, under fluctuating-prey conditions, M. sexmaculatus is a better biological control agent of aphids than P. dissecta is. © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of Canada
Morphology of Mouthparts and Distribution of Sensilla in Immature Stages and Adults of Parthenium Beetles
(Oxford University Press, 2025) Priyanka Yadav; Arvind Kumar Patel; Desh Deepak Chaudhary; Bhupendra Kumar
The Parthenium beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a notable biocontrol agent against invasive Parthenium weed in Australia, South Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. While larvae consume both inflorescences and leaves, and adults feed exclusively on leaves, no prior study has compared the mouthparts of Z. bicolorata larvae and adults. Present study utilized scanning electron microscopy to investigate the morphology and distribution of sensilla on mouthparts of fourth-instar larvae, pupae, and adults. Our results revealed that fourth-instar larvae had 9-different sensillum types: sensilla chaetica (Sch I-III), sensilla basiconica (Sb I-V), and sensilla digitiformia (Ds) on their mouthparts, whereas pupal sensilla were fewer and less distinct. In adults, 13-different sensillum types were present: sensilla chaetica (Sch I-III) on labrum, labium, mandibles, and maxillae; sensilla basiconica (Sb I-VI) on labium, epipharyx, lacinia, maxillary palps, and labial palps; sensilla digitiformia (Ds) on maxillary palps; and sensilla campaniformia (Sca), and sensilla coeloconica (Sco I-II) on epipharyx. These sensilla likely play vital roles in feeding behavior, sensory perception, and host plant detection. Our findings provide a microscopic morphological foundation for further research on food recognition mechanisms and local adaptations in specialist phytophagous insects. © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Microscopy Society of America. All rights reserved.
Oviposition Strategies
(CRC Press, 2022) Desh Deepak Chaudhary; Bhupendra Kumar; Omkar
[No abstract available]
Sperm Strategies: Partner's Mating Status as a Driver of Last Male Success in Ladybirds
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Desh Deepak Chaudhary; Bhupendra Kumar; Omkar
In the present study, we examined the last male sperm precedence based on the mating status of males and females (virgin, once-mated, or multiply-mated) of a coccinellid beetle, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius). Results revealed that, in comparison to virgin females, once- and multiply-mated females significantly affected the process of last male sperm precedence. While virgin females either showed the last male sperm precedence effect or produced equal numbers of offspring with phenotypes similar to both male partners. The latter result was obtained when: (i) the virgin female mated with an unmated typical male followed by a multiply-mated intermediate male, or (ii) the virgin female mated with a once-mated typical male followed by a multiply-mated intermediate male. However, once- and multiply-mated females showed the first male precedence in all mating treatments, and their offspring had phenotypes similar to the first male partner. Present empirical studies suggest that the process of the last male sperm precedence is not ubiquitous in M. sexmaculatus. Rather, it changes with the mating status of the partners, and the effects of female mating status on the last male sperm precedence are more prominent than the male mating status. © 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.