The Rate of Production of the Peritrophic Membrane in Some Insects

Abstract

Feeding zygopterous (damsel-fly) nymphs produced peritrophic membranes at a rate of about three per day. Each membrane is secreted by the entire midgut epithelium and varies in length according to the degree of distension of the midgut by food. Starving nymphs evacuated empty membranes at a slower rate (about 1 per day) ,until death.