Chapter 8
Insecta (Hemiptera)
Of the Hemiptera, leafhoppers have been studied mainly in terms of cell
cultures. The aim of culturing leafhopper cells is to study the relationship between leafhopper cells and plant viruses that persistently infect
leafhopper vectors at the cellular level. Planthoppers and aphids are also
vectors of plant viruses, and so cell cultures of these two groups of insects are desirable. However, unlike leafhoppers (Cicadellidae),
planthoppers (Delphacidae) and aphids (Aphididae) are notoriously difficult to culture. For hemipteran cells, MM medium, Chiu and Black's
medium, or MGM-450 medium are used commonly (see Appendix 1).
Subprotocol 1
Embryos in Qviposited Eggs
Materials
- Dissecting microscope
- Centrifuge tube (10-15 ml)
- Maximov slide
- Forceps
- Needles
- Knife
- Pasteur pipette
- Physiological solution
- Culture media
- Trypsin solution
- Dispase solution
- Eggs of hemipteran insects
Procedure
Following is the method established by Mitsuhashi and Maramorosch
(1964) for setting up a cell culture from the developing embryos of leafhoppers.
PROTOCOL
Equipment
Solutions
Animals