The spermatozoon of Asphondyliidi (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae)

Abstract

The sperm axonemes of five examined representatives of the supertribe Asphonyliidi (Cecidomyiidae) were shown to exhibit a common feature, namely that of a double spiral of microtubular doublets arranged in parallel rows and rolled around some centrally located mitochondria. The species differ with respect to the number of spiral coils. This unique axonemal structure is a characteristic of Asphondyliids and has not been found in some related groups. The axonemal microtubular doublets have outer arms only as is the rule in the spermatozoa of other gall-midge flies. This peculiar kind of axoneme is able to move even in the absence of inner dynein arms. Tubules A and B have the typical substructure of protofilaments of other microtubular structures.