Target of rapamycin (TOR) determines appendage size during pupa formation of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum

The adult body size is species-specific and controlled by complex interactions between hormones and the IIS/TOR pathway. To analyze the role of target of rapamycin (TOR) in the growth and development of the insect, expression levels of TOR were silenced in the model and pest insect red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Injection of dsRNA into the last larval instar decreased pupal mass and size, while the amount of food intake by the larvae was...