Effects of parasitism on the octopamine content of the central nervous system of Manduca sexta:: a possible mechanism underlying host behavioural change

The parasitic wasp Cotesia congregata lays its eggs inside the larva of Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm). Beginning about 12 h before the wasp larvae emerge from the host, host feeding and locomotion decline. The octopamine content of the central nervous system (CNS) of parasitized hosts was measured using high-performance liquid chroma tography with electrochemical detection. Concomitant with the decrease in host feeding and locomotion, the octopamine content of the host's brain (supra- and sub-esophageal ganglia), thoracic ganglia, and abdominal ganglia increased. In nonparasitized M. sexta, the octopamine content of the CNS did not change significantly during moult sleep, a stage in which the behaviour superficially resembles that of M. sexta after the wasps have emerged. Neither result is consistent with the hypothesis that the octopamine content within the CNS is lower in inactive insects. Nevertheless, the close temporal correlation between the change in host behaviour and CNS octopamine content suggests that alterations in the functioning of the octopaminergic system may play a role in depressing host feeding and (or) locomotion.