Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Biology Dept.

Advisor(s)

David R. Angelini

Second Advisor

S. Tariq Ahmad

Third Advisor

Judy Stone

Abstract

Wings are a defining characteristic of all pterygote insects and are agreed to originate from a single common winged ancestor. However, essentially nothing is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate wing development and patterning outside of Endopterygota, and the vast majority of this knowledge comes solely from Drosophila melanogaster. There is reason to suspect that the drastic developmental differences that exist between Endopterygota and Exopterygota have resulted in changes in the mechanisms, timings, or even genes that govern wing development. This study examined the roles of several genes known to be involved in D. melanogaster wing development and patterning in two exopterygote species, Oncopeltus fasciatus and Jadera haematoloma, and is the first to address molecular wing patterning outside of Endopterygota. Our results suggest that provein identity is established in early nymphal instars, and that the spalt transcription factor plays a role in maintaining vein development in both species.

Keywords

development, veins, wings, Hemiptera, exopterygota, hemimetabolous

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