Changes occurred in the testes and DNA pattern of males wax moth (Galleria mellonella) first generation as a result of irradiation of their parents.

Nowadays, the sterile insect technique is broadly used as a pest control measure. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the alteration occurred in testes and DNA pattern as an effect of inherited sterility. Full grown pupae of the wax moth, Galleria mellonella were irradiated with 80 and 160 Gy of γ irradiation. The size of the testes was decreased by increasing of γ irradiation dose. Also, the size of the testes was decreased in F 1 males comparing with the size of the testes of both the parents and the untreated control. The effects of γ rays on the DNA patterns of adult male parents and F 1 males showed alterations among the controls, the treated parents and F 1 individuals. Exposure to radiation caused very frequently the appearance of some extra bands and the deficiency of others in the arbitrary random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction amplification patterns of the irradiated insects.