Juvenile hormone regulates the shift from migrants to residents in adult oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata

In migratory insects, increasing evidence has demonstrated juvenile hormone (JH) is involved in regulating adult reproduction and flight. Our previous study demonstrated that the switch from migrants to residents in Mythimna separata could be induced by adverse environmental conditions during a sensitive period in adulthood (the first day post-emergence), but the role of JH in this switch is not clear. Here, we found a significantly different pattern of JH titers between migrants and residents, with migrants showing a slower release of JH during adulthood than residents. Application of JH analogue (JHA) in the 1-day-old adults, significantly accelerated adult reproduction and suppressed flight capacity. The pre-oviposition period and period of first oviposition of migrants treated with JHA were significantly shorter, while the total lifetime fecundity and mating percentage increased. The flight capacity and dorso-longitudinal muscle size of the migrants were decreased significantly when treated with JHA. The effect of JHA on reproduction and flight capacity indicate that JH titers during the sensitive period (first day post-emergence) regulates the shift from migrants to residents in M. separata.