Fig. 2

Feeding larvae dsxF dsRNA resulted in mRNA inhibition and lower adult female counts with reduced lifespan and fertility. Daily feedings of AgdsxF dsRNA to larval stages (from L2 to L4) resulted in a reduction of 66% (± 9.98 SE) of the AgdsxF transcript in pupae (a). Statistical difference was calculated by unpaired Student’s t-test with P < 0.05. b The silencing of the AgdsxF gene in the larval stages resulted in a reduction of the total number of female pupae (47% ± 3.0% SE of female pupae in the control vs 36% ± 5.6 SE in the dsx dsRNA-treated group) and subsequently, of the (c) adult females (48% ± 4.0% SE of female adults in the control vs 27% ± 3.3% SE in the dsx dsRNA-treated group). Results are from four independent replicates. d Body size, measured by wing length, did not show significant changes in the resulting adult females. e Life span of the adult females was significantly reduced by over 5 days. For the males from the treated AgdsxF dsRNA groups, no significant variation in body size (f) or adult longevity were observed (g). The fecundity of the AgdsxF dsRNA females (h) was significantly lower when compared to that of the control group and that of control females mated with dsxF dsRNA males. i Sperm were present in the spermathecae of females that laid eggs and absent in those that did not. Of the control females, 2% ± 1.66% SE did not have sperm whereas 30% ± 4.7% SE of AgdsxF dsRNA females did not. Phenotypic assays were done in parallel with the qRT-PCR for the treated groups. Except when specified, results are a biological triplicates and in all experiments the control group was fed with a non-related dsRNA, for the Aintegumenta gene from Arabidopsis thaliana