Determination and expression of sex in insects are important not only in basic biology but also in practical applications. The external morphological characters were evaluated for the determination of sex in Amsacta albistriga Walk. (Lepidoptera:Arctiidea) during the pupal stage for laboratory studies. Among the various parameters examined, size, length, weight, location of genital pore, anal pore and the ratio of distance between genital and anal pores are found to be reliable criteria for sexing pupae. In addition, Storage protein1 (SP1) appropriately called as “female specific protein” could contribute towards the confirmation of the individual’s sex.In A. albistriga, the SP1 was separated on 10% SDS-PAGE and their identity was confirmed using immunoblot analysis. This paper deals with two issues simultaneously: A simple technique to separate male and female pupae of A. albistriga in livable conditions for further behavioral, physiological and molecular studies. The efficient contribution of SP1 as a biochemical marker and its exploitation in reproduction and integrated pest management.
Keywords:anal pore, female specific protein, genital pore, storage protein 1, reproduction
