Adult Locomotor Rhythmicity as "Hands" of the Maternal Photoperiodic Clock Regulating Larval Diapause in the Blowfly, Calliphora vicina

Abstract

Some basic properties of the adult locomotor activity rhythm and of the maternal induction of larval diapause in Calliphora vicina are described. Diapause responses in Nanda-Hamner experiments indicate that circadian rhythmicity is involved in photoperiodic time measurement (PPTM). However, although the locomotor rhythm shows long-lasting changes in free-running period (aftereffects of photoperiod and constant light) and occasional "splitting," thereby indicating a structural complexity to the circadian system, the overt rhythm may be used as an indicator of phase relationships (or "hands") of the covert system involved in PPTM, within the framework of a simple external-coincidence model for the diapause clock. Thus, in light-dark (LD) cycles close to "resonance" with the circadian pacemaker(s) (T 24, LD 12:12; T 48, LD 12:36; and T 72, LD 12:60), light is restricted to the subjective day and diapause incidence is high. In T 36 (LD 12:24) and T 60 (LD 12:48), light falls into the subjective night and illuminates the postulated light-sensitive phase (Φ1), and diapause incidence is low. Within the primary range of entrainment, light invades the late subjective night in T 20 (LD 12:8), illuminates Φ i, and causes low incidence of diapause; however, it invades the early subjective night in T 30 (LD 12:18) and diapause remains high.