Effect of RNAi-mediated knockdown of Gb′Kr-h1, Gb′Br or Gb′E93 and 20E treatment on expression patterns. (a–c) dsRNA targeting DsRed2 (control), Gb′Kr-h1, Gb′Br or Gb′E93 was injected on day 1 of the fifth instar. Transcript levels of Gb′Kr-h1 (a), Gb′Br (b), and Gb′E93 (c) were subsequently determined in the abdomens of the sixth instar. The transcript levels determined at the sixth instar of each control nymph for (a–c) were set to 1. Data are presented as the mean ± s.d. (d) Transcript levels of Gb′Kr-h1, Gb′Br and Gb′E93 were also determined for the seventh instar, following the injection of dsRNA targeting Gb′E93. The transcript levels of these genes in control nymphs on day 1 of the seventh instar were set to 1. Data are presented as the mean ± s.d. (e) 20E was injected into the fifth instar nymphs. Transcript levels of Gb′Kr-h1, Gb′Br and Gb′E93 were subsequently determined on day 1 in the sixth instars. The transcript levels of these genes on day 1 of the control sixth instar nymphs were set to 1. Data presented are the mean ± s.d. n.s., not significant; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.005; ***p < 0.001 according to Student's t-test.