Accessory sexual glands

Piulachs M. D., Maestro J. L. and Belles X. (1992) Juvenile hormone production and accessory gland development during sexual maturation of male Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera, Blattellidae). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 102, 477 -80. 

The reason for this may be that there is now evidence to show that the corpora cardiaca (CC) secretes a peptide (12) which stimulates amino acid uptake by the gland. Furthermore, many attempts to demonstrate that JH is present in the pregnant tsetse have so far failed. Activity of the large sexual accessory gland of alla-tectomized Perlplaneta amerlcana is also inhibited iu vivo by 20-OHE 03). 

Reproductive Behavior. Male accessory glands contain peptides which affect female reproductive behavior. Female sexual receptivity is diminished after mating (22) and oviposition is stimulated (22). Peptides responsible for these behaviors have been isolated from Drosophila species (22,23) and sequenced. In addition, a peptide with similar behavioral influences in a lepidopteran has been isolated from Helicoverpa zea (24). Miller (this volume) discusses the potential of these "sex peptides" in the development of unique insect control strategies. While males influence female reproductive behavior via the action of "sex peptides", females, especially in the Lepidop-tera, influence male behavior through the release of pheromone. The production of pheromone, in turn, is controlled by the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN for a comprehensive review see 25). PBAN-like activity has been observed in more than 20 insect species (25) and offers another avenue for exploitation of neuropeptides in insect control. 

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