Fig. 4

Effects of RNAi-based knockdown of TG on oviposition. TG dsRNA was injected into the ventral side of an abdomen of a female louse. a Relative transcription levels of TG at 72 h post-dsRNA injection. b The number of eggs and c %hatchability of eggs laid from the control or TG-knockdown females during 60 ~ 84 h post-dsRNA injection. d Comparison of angles between a hair shaft and an egg from the control or TG-knockdown females. e Thread-like or amorphous glue particles (red arrowheads) found on hair or egg surface following oviposition of TG-knockdown females. f Empty eggshells from control females at 7 days post-oviposition. All the first instars hatched out. g Eggs from TG-knockdown females at 7 days post-oviposition, in which stillborn first instars were found inside eggshells. The asterisk marks indicate the statistically significant mean values as judged by Student’s t-test (ns, not significant; ***P < 0.001; ****P < 0.0001). Error bars indicate standard deviation