SEM observations on egg-shell of the Japanese tusser, Antheraea yamamai and Chinese tusser,Antheraea pernyi

Abstract

The egg-shell surface structure of the Japanese tusser and Chinese tusser was observed by means of scanning electron microscopy. There were a lot of similarities between the two egg-shells, but the fine structure may be easily distinguished. As to the Japanese tusser, the petals of the petaloid pattern around micropyle were elongate and raised in the middle (Fig. 1); micropylar tubes numbered 11-13 (Figs. 2 and 3); the wider and thicker bank formed irregularly shaped net-like structure of the egg-shell surface other than in the vicinity of micropyle (Fig. 5); and the thickness of the egg-shell was about 70 μm. In the Chinese tusser the petals were shorter, wider,and even; micropylar tubes numbered 8-9 (Fig. 4); the narrow and low bank formed hexagonal, pentagonal, heptagonal, or octagonal net-like structure; the aeropyle wall was well developed, almost the same in size (Figs. 8 and 9); and the thickness of the egg-shell was about 40 μm.