Abstract
In the present study, spermatozoon ultrastructure was documented in two species of hangingflies, Bittacus strigosus Hagen (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) and B. stigmaterus Say. Structures considered important to phylogenetic assessment that were observed in B. strigosus and B. stigmaterus included a short bilayered acrosome, elongated nucleus, tube-like glycocalyx, centriole adjunct material, accessory bodies, two mitochondrial derivatives, extra axonemal rods, globular units, and 9+2 arrangement of microtubules in the axoneme. Comparisons were made to Bittacus planus Cheng, which was previously examined by electron microscopy ( Xie and Hua 2010 ). Similarities among the ultrastructural characteristics of the three Bittacus species support the monophyly of this genus. Displacement of a mitochondrial derivative by an accessory body was documented for the first time. This paper includes clarifications on differences between accessory bodies and extra axonemal rods, which are issues important to phylogenetic placement.
Highlights
Materials and MethodsComparisons of spermatozoon ultrastructure are often used to help establish phylogenetic relationships among insects (Baccetti et al 1969; Gassner et al 1972; Jamieson et al 1999; Dallai et al 2003; Xie and Hua 2010)
Structures considered important to phylogenetic assessment that were observed in B. strigosus and B. stigmaterus included a short bilayered acrosome, elongated nucleus, tube-like glycocalyx, centriole adjunct material, accessory bodies, two mitochondrial derivatives, extra axonemal rods, globular units, and 9+2 arrangement of microtubules in the axoneme
Since spermatozoon ultrastructure of B. strigosus and B. stigmaterus was so similar, only representative figures from B. strigosus are presented, with the exception of Figure 3C, which is from B. stigmaterus
Summary
Materials and MethodsComparisons of spermatozoon ultrastructure are often used to help establish phylogenetic relationships among insects (Baccetti et al 1969; Gassner et al 1972; Jamieson et al 1999; Dallai et al 2003; Xie and Hua 2010). The main purpose of this study was to record the spermatozoon ultrastructure of two species of hangingflies, Bittacus strigosus Hagen (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) and B. stigmaterus Say. The spermatozoon ultrastructural components of these species were compared to Bittacus planus Cheng (Xie and Hua 2010) to discover if the structures considered important for phylogenetic placement were present in all three species. The spermatozoon ultrastructural components of these species were compared to Bittacus planus Cheng (Xie and Hua 2010) to discover if the structures considered important for phylogenetic placement were present in all three species These structures were a short bilayered acrosome, tube-like glycocalyx, extra axonemal rods (EARs), elongated nucleus, centriole adjunct material (CAM), two mitochondrial derivatives (MDs), accessory bodies (AB), 9+2 arrangement of axoneme microtubules, and globular units (Dallai et al 2003; Xie and Hua 2010). Displacement of an MD by an AB was documented for the first time
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