Circannual pupation timing is not correlated with circadian period in the varied carpet beetle Anthrenus verbasci

Abstract

Anthrenus verbasci (Insecta, Coleoptera, Dermestidae) shows a circannual rhythm in pupation and a circadian rhythm in adult locomotor activity. The period length of the circannual rhythm will be correlated with the length of a circadian period if oscillations of these two rhythms share a common genetic background. We examined the relationship between the two rhythms and found no correlation between the pupation time determined by the circannual rhythm and the circadian period of the adult activity rhythm. This result suggests that the mechanism that produces the circannual rhythm of A. verbasci is not affected by the period of circadian rhythm.

Keywords:

• circadian rhythm
• circannual rhythm
• locomotor activity

Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by a Core Stage Backup Research Grant from Kyoto University to HN and a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (10J10284) to YM.