Transcriptional regulation of reproductive diapause in the convergent lady beetle

The convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens, has been used as a biological control agent for decades. However, the females undergo a reproductive diapause that can cause one of two behaviors upon release in the field: dispersing upon release or staying near the field without feeding. Although the physiological regulators of reproductive diapause have been known for many years, the genetic hallmarks of this and other diapauses have remained largely unknown. Here, we used RNA-Seq to quantify and annotate differential gene expression during the different phases of reproductive diapause: early diapause, mid-diapause, and late diapause. We saw that genes involved in flight were highly upregulated throughout diapause while genes related to reproduction were strongly downregulated. This information may provide new avenues for making the convergent lady beetle a more efficient biological control agent, as well as adding to the existing diapause literature.