Morphology Of Spermatheca Research Articles

The alien species Stenochrus portoricensis (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae): decreasing the Wallacean shortfall in the New World

ABSTRACT The widely distributed species, Stenochrus portoricensis Chamberlin, 1922, is recorded for the first time from Costa Rica and Venezuela, and new occurrences from Brazil and Colombia are presented. Morphology of spermathecae from 14 localities is compared and illustrated. The need for studies to evaluate the potential status as an invasive species of S. portoricensis is commented on and a distribution map of the species in southern Central America and South America is given.

Stenozygum coloratum (Klug, 1845) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)’un Spermateka ve Yumurta Morfolojisi

The spermathecae and egg morphology of Stenozygum coloratum (Klug, 1845) were examined with light and scanning electron microscopy, and their external morphology was characterized in detail (egg chorion surface, operculum, and aero-micropylar processes, and spermatheca morphology). Eggs barrel-shaped; operculum round and the hatching line can be easily distinguished in the scanning electron photograph. The egg batches usually consist of 12 eggs. Because of the thick egg chorion, embrionic development was not visible from the outside. The eggs of S. coloratum are usually laid in two rows and are glued to the Capparis spinosa (Capparacea) plants. The egg burster is highly sclerotized, thick and T shaped. It is clearly observed in the hatched egg. Egg-burster is remains attached with the inside lateral surface of the egg. The well-marked operculum intersects the ring of 18–20 short pipe shaped micropylar projections that are found between the tubercles around the hatching line. In S. coloratum, the spermathecae has a semi-oblong spermathecal bulb. The spermathecal duct, pumping region, dilation of spermathecal duct and distal and proximal ducts. The pumping region has distal and proximal flanges. The balloon-like median spermathecal dilation has sclerotized rod and is narrowed distally and tipped. The proximal area of the spermathecal duct is close to the vagina opening. Two V-shaped sclerites and two ring sclerites are localized on the genital chamber (vagina) wall in to which opens the spermathecae. Egg and spermathecae structures in insects differ from species to species. In this study, spermathecae and egg structures of this species, which have not been studied before, were examined in detail, and it was aimed to contribute to systematic and taxonomic studies.

A new cave-dwelling Spelaeochernes (Pseudoscorpiones: Chernetidae) from northeastern Brazil

A new species of the pseudoscorpion genus SpelaeochernesMahnert, 2001, Spelaeochernes popeyesp. nov., is described from male, female and nymphal specimens collected in limestone caves of the Canudos supergroup in northeastern Brazil. It differs from the other Spelaeochernes species by the spermatheca morphology and the absence of eyespots. It exhibits marked sexual dimorphism, with an enlargement of the male pedipalp hand, which may suggest a close relationship with S. armatusMahnert, 2001 and S. dentatusMahnert, 2001. However, the spermathecal morphology suggests a relationship with S. bahiensisMahnert, 2001. Spelaeochernes popeye sp. nov. is a guanobite, and only occurs in or near frugivorous guano piles and it was only found in subterranean domain, being considered as a troglobite.

Adult Reproductive Tract Morphology and Spermatogenesis in the Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

Abstract Large-scale production of the black soldier fly [Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)] for use as aquaculture and poultry feed has developed into a global industry. Successful commercialization of the black soldier fly relies on optimizing the production of fecund adults. However, current mass-rearing protocols result in variable production of fertile eggs. To help lay a foundation for a better understanding of factors that may play a role in this variability, the morphology of the black soldier fly male reproductive tract and spermatozoa, associated spermatogenesis process, impact of age on the process, and the female spermatheca morphology were examined with various microscopic techniques (e.g., scanning electron microscope, transition electron microscope, and dissecting scope). The gross morphology of the male reproductive tract and female spermatheca appear to be similar to those found in other brachyceran flies. Male spermatozoa are long (~860 µm overall, ~8 µm head), apparently motile, and possess flagella with a typical 9 + 9 + 2 axoneme triplets. Germ cells go through incomplete mitotic divisions surrounded by somatic cyst cells in the testes. Spermatogenesis appears to be initiated during immature development (cryptocephalic pupa stage). From <24 h to 7 d post-emergence, male aging appeared to impact sperm production.

Morphology of ovary and spermathecae of the parasitoid Eibesfeldtphora tonhascai Brown (Diptera: Phoridae).

Eibesfeldtphora tonhascai (Diptera: Phoridae) is a parasitoid of leaf-cutting ants and a potential biological control agent against these insect pests. This study describes the morphology of the ovary and spermatheca of E. tonhascai. The female reproductive tract of this parasitoid has a pair of meroistic polytrophic ovaries, two lateral oviducts that open into a common oviduct, an elongated accessory gland, and two spermathecae. Young oocytes are small and spherical, and their size increases as yolk is stored in the cytoplasm. This process is followed by chorion production by follicular cells. Mature oocytes are elliptical or torpedo-shaped. The reservoir wall of the spermatheca has type III glandular cells with cytoplasm rich in free ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and secretory vesicles. The apical surface of these cells has microvilli associated with mitochondria. The reservoir lumen is lined by a cuticle and filled with spermatozoa. This is the first report of the ovary and spermatheca morphology of E. tonhascai and contributes to the comprehension of the reproductive biology of this parasitoid of leaf-cutting ants.

Intra‐specific variability in Rhinoleucophenga punctulata populations (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from Neotropical biomes: Combined analyses of morphological and molecular data

AbstractDespite the fact that Drosophilidae is a very diverse and well‐studied taxon, the New World genus Rhinoleucophenga is yet poorly understood even in regard to species distribution and morphological variability pattern. In this sense, R. punctulata is a species widely distributed in the Neotropical region. Specimens of R. punctulata were collected from different biomes in Brazil: Pampa, Cerrado and Caatinga sensu strictu, and a southern Amazonian savannah enclave area. Geographical variations in the external body morphology and in the morphology of spermatheca were noticed among the different populations. The hypothesis that each population could be a different species was tested through molecular data. A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxydase subunit I (COI) gene was sequenced to perform phylogenetic analyses through neighbor‐joining and Bayesian inferences. Pairwise genetic divergences of COI sequences were calculated using DNA barcode premises. The analyzed populations presented different variation levels in both morphology and molecular traits. However, new species were not proposed because the intra‐population nucleotide variations exceeded the inter‐population ones. The noticeable morphological and genetic variations revealed among the four studied populations of R. punctulata in different biomes of Brazil suggest the necessity that morphological, distributional and molecular data at the population level should be integrated into complementary datasets to better understand the biological diversity of Rhinoleucophenga through Neotropical environments.

Morphology of spermatheca in Scutelleridae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea) and its taxonomic significance

AbstractStructures of spermatheca in 63 species of Scutelleridae (Hemiptera) representing 46 genera and all subfamilies currently recognised in the family were examined and compared. The morphology of three main parts of the spermatheca (receptacle, intermediate part, and spermathecal duct) was described and three main types of spermatheca in Scutelleridae were identified. The taxonomic importance of spermathecal features for the higher classification of scutellerids is discussed.

Description and molecular characterization of a new species of tarantula, Pamphobeteus verdolaga , from Colombia (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae)

ABSTRACT A new species of Pamphobeteus Pocock, 1901, is described from the Colombian Andes, Medellin, Antioquia. The biochemistry and molecular characteristics of the venom of this new species (previously identified as Pamphobeteus aff. nigricolor ) has been already described. A detailed taxonomic study, comparing this species with holotypes and additional material of Pamphobeteus species, allowed us to recognize it as new, and to describe it here as Pamphobeteus verdolaga sp. nov. The male of P. verdolaga sp. nov. is distinguished by the palpal bulb with broad embolus, poorly developed apical keel (A), prolateral inferior keel (PI) and prolateral accessory keel (PAc) present but poorly developed, and retrolateral keel (R) of similar length as A. Females are distinguished by the morphology of spermatheca with a wide base and very short oval seminal receptacles, which are curved toward the center. This is the thirteenth species described in Pamphobeteus and the sixth species reported from Colombia. The species description is complemented by a molecular characterization of a partial CO1 sequence.

Comparative morphology and identification key for females of nine Sarcophagidae species (Diptera) with forensic importance in Southern Brazil

The identification of female flesh flies was always considered a difficult task since morphological descriptions and keys for females are rare. Even in a forensic entomology framework, where females play a major role, female flesh flies are usually not identified. In order to fill this gap in Southern Brazil fauna we provide detailed descriptions and key for the female of nine species included in four genera: Microcerella halli (Engel), Oxysarcodexia paulistanensis (Mattos), Oxysarcodexia riograndensis (Lopes), Peckia (Euboettcheria) australis (Townsend), Peckia (Euboettcheria) florencioi (Prado and Fonseca), Peckia (Pattonella) intermutans (Walker), Peckia (Pattonella) resona (Lopes), Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann), and Sarcophaga (Bercaea) africa (Wiedemann). These species are distinguished mainly by genital characters as tergite 6 divided or undivided, presence of tergite 8, spermatheca morphology and vaginal plate shape.

Sand fly fauna (Diptera, pcychodidae, phlebotominae) in different leishmaniasis-endemic areas of ecuador, surveyed using a newly named mini-shannon trap.

To study the sand fly fauna, surveys were performed at four different leishmaniasis-endemic sites in Ecuador from February 2013 to April 2014. A modified and simplified version of the conventional Shannon trap was named “mini-Shannon trap” and put to multiple uses at the different study sites in limited, forested and narrow spaces. The mini-Shannon, CDC light trap and protected human landing method were employed for sand fly collection. The species identification of sand flies was performed mainly based on the morphology of spermathecae and cibarium, after dissection of fresh samples. In this study, therefore, only female samples were used for analysis. A total of 1,480 female sand flies belonging to 25 Lutzomyia species were collected. The number of female sand flies collected was 417 (28.2%) using the mini-Shannon trap, 259 (17.5%) using the CDC light trap and 804 (54.3%) by human landing. The total number of sand flies per trap collected by the different methods was markedly affected by the study site, probably because of the various composition of species at each locality. Furthermore, as an additional study, the attraction of sand flies to mini-Shannon traps powered with LED white-light and LED black-light was investigated preliminarily, together with the CDC light trap and human landing. As a result, a total of 426 sand flies of nine Lutzomyia species, including seven man-biting and two non-biting species, were collected during three capture trials in May and June 2014 in an area endemic for leishmaniasis (La Ventura). The black-light proved relatively superior to the white-light with regard to capture numbers, but no significant statistical difference was observed between the two traps.

Sperm storage by spermatodoses in the spermatheca of Trioza alacris (Flor, 1861) hemiptera, psylloidea, triozidae: A structural and ultrastructural study

Female insects generally store sperm received during mating in specific organs of their reproductive tract, i.e., the spermathecae, which keep the sperm alive for a long time until fertilization occurs. We investigated spermatheca morphology and ultrastructure in the psylloidean insect Trioza alacris (Flor,1861) in which spheroidal sperm packets that we refer to as 'spermatodoses' are found after mating. The ectoderm-derived epithelium of the sac-shaped spermatheca that has a proximal neck, consists of large secretory and flat cuticle-forming cells. Secretory cells are characterized by a wide extracellular cavity, bordered by microvilli, in which electron-dense secretion accumulates before discharge into the spermathecal lumen. The cuticle-forming cells produce the cuticular intima of the organ and a peculiar specialized apical structure, through which secretion flows into the lumen. At mating, the male transfers bundles of sperm cells embedded in seminal fluid into the spermathecal neck. Sperm cells proceed towards the spermathecal sac lumen, where they are progressively compacted and surrounded with an envelope that also encloses secretions of both male and female origin. We describe the formation of these sperm containing structures and document the contribution of the female secretion to spermatodose or female-determined spermatophore construction. We also discuss the choice of the term 'spermatodose' for T. alacris and suggest it be used to refer to sperm masses constructed in the female reproductive organs, at least when they involve the contribution of female secretion.

Morphological analyses of some Palaearctic Stenopogon Loew, 1847 (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae) based on the spermatheca structure

Females of some Stenopogon species were compared both systematically and phylogenetically utilizing spermatheca morphology. The spermathecae of 8 species and 2 subspecies of Stenopogon (S. coracinus, S. elongatus S. flavibarbis, S. junceus, S. laevigatus, S. nigriventris, S. schisticolor, S. strateagus, S. sabaudus harpax, and S. xanthotrichus xanthomelas) were examined using a scanning electron microscope and subsequently analyzed with cluster analysis. Taxa of evaluated Stenopogon were found to be separated into 2 primary groups, A and B, based on the number of spirals and the diameter of the reservoir. Group A further separated into the sub-groups A1, A2, and A3, while group B separated into 2 sub-groups, B1 and B2. Species of both group A and group B were found to be monophyletic.

Evolution of specialized spermatheca morphology in ant queens: Insight from comparative developmental biology between ants and polistine wasps

In many ant species, the queens can keep spermatozoa alive in their spermatheca for several years, which goes along with unique morphological characteristics of the queen's spermatheca. The relative spermatheca size in ant queens is prominently larger than that in social wasps. Furthermore, the epithelium lining the spermatheca reservoir of ants consists of columnar cells in the hilar region and squamous cells in the distal region, whereas it is formed by columnar cells only in social wasps. To study the evolution of the unique spermatheca morphology in ant queens, we compared the various processes during spermatheca development between two ponerine ant species of the genus Pachycondyla (= Brachyponera) and three polistine wasp species of the genus Polistes. From histological observations, we can define four developmental events in the ant queens: (1) invagination of the spermatheca primordium, (2) the reservoir wall thickness becomes unequal, (3) the reservoir diameter doubles as the lining epithelial cells become flattened except for the hilar region, and (4) the increase in thickness of the reservoir epithelium is limited to the hilar region which doubles in thickness. In polistine wasps, the second and the third developmental events are absent and the entire epithelium of the spermatheca wall becomes thick in the final step. We therefore conclude that for ant queens the second and third steps are crucial for the enlargement of the spermatheca size, and that the second to the fourth steps are crucial for the specialization of the reservoir wall structure.

Comparison of spermatheca morphology between reproductive and non-reproductive females in social wasps

Social wasps show an obvious evolution of the differentiation in behavior and external size between reproductive and non-reproductive females, with no clear differences in the Stenogastrinae, via overlap in the Polistinae, to clear differences in the Vespinae. In this study, we examined the morphological appearance of the spermatheca in representative species of these three subfamilies. The general anatomical organization of the spermatheca comprises a reservoir, a duct and two spermathecal glands, and is in line with its common structure in other social Hymenoptera. All examined wasp species have a spermathecal reservoir with uniform wall thickness, which is similar to the situation in the bees, but differentiates them from the ants. Within the wasps, the shape of the reservoir, the shape of the spermathecal glands and their attachment site to the spermatheca differs among the Stenogastrinae, Polistinae and Vespinae. The reservoir wall is thick in the Polistinae and Vespinae, while in the Stenogastrinae, it varies from thin in Parischnogaster to thick in Eustenogaster, with an intermediate situation in Liostenogaster. In all examined species, we found no differences in the spermathecal development between reproductive and non-reproductive wasps.

Comparative morphology of the spermatheca within the family Dinidoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

The spermathecae of eleven genera of the family Dinidoridae (Dinidorinae and Megymeninae) were studied. Four types of spermatheca morphology were observed. Possible use of the morphology of spermathecae in the taxonomy of Dinidoridae is discussed.

The cellular structure of the female reproductive system within the Heteroderinae and Meloidogyninae (Nematoda)

AbstractGonads from living young females, representing 23 different species, were extracted to study the cellular structure of the female genital structure within the Meloidogyninae and Heteroderinae. All genera studied can be characterised by their cellular spermatheca morphology. Within Meloidogyne a spherical spermatheca is found with lobe-like protruding cells, most species having 16 to 18 spermatheca cells with interlaced cell boundaries while M. microtyla and M. ichinohei have more spermatheca cells with different cell boundaries. Heterodera and Globodera reveal a comparable gonad structure. The spermatheca cells of Heterodera are columnar and arranged in a restricted number of rows, whereas in Globodera the spermatheca cells are squarish to rounded, depending on the species. The gonad morphology of Afenestrata koreana is clearly different from what would be expected based on the related genera Globodera and Heterodera. The apparently simplest genital system was found in Meloidodera floridensis where the uterus has a limited number of cells. In the other genera studied a large and variable cell number was found.

Comparative morphology of spermathecae in solitary and primitively eusocial bees (Hymenoptera; Apoidea)

Spermathecae of solitary and primitively eusocial bees from five major families were compared according to their chamber size, epithelial cell height (wall thickness), number and shape of glands, number of sperm pumps, and diameter of the duct, using whole mounts and serial sections. A thick spermathecal wall with a small chamber in our exemplar colletid, megachilid, and andrenid bees, a large chamber with a thick wall in social Apidae, and a thin wall with a large chamber in social halictids indicate that a big chamber may be associated with increased colony size. A thin epithelium in the receptacle of halictid bees suggests relegation of spermathecal secretion to the spermathecal gland. A relatively thick spermathecal wall in the Apinae indicates the potential importance of both the epithelial cell layer of the receptacle and the enlarged spermathecal gland in maintaining large numbers of stored sperm. There was one sperm pump in all taxa surveyed except the representative Halictidae, in which this structure was paired. Elongated spermathecal glands may typify the spermathecae of eusocial bees.

Redescription of Grania monochaeta (Michaelsen), a Marine Enchytraeid (Oligochaeta) from South Georgia (SW Atlantic)

Enchytraeus monochaetus Michaelsen is redescribed as Grania monochaeta. It is distinguished from other Grania species by two main characters: its morphology of spermathecae, and its setal distribution, the latter being unique within the genus owing to the presence of dorsal setae in preclitellar segments.

Marine subtidal Tubificidae and Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta) of the Bergen area, western Norway

Abstract Seven tubificid and five enchytraeid oligochaete species are recorded from 63 subtidal sediment samples from the fjords near Bergen. One of the tubificids is considered conspecific to Limnodriloides barnardi Cook, which previously was known from the Pacific coast of Mexico only. A meiobenthic enchytraeid, Marionina sublitoralis sp.n., is described from sublittoral shell sand. It is separated from other, morphologically closely related, species of Marionina by its setal arrangement and its morphology of spermathecae. The other species are Peloscolex benedeni, Peloscolex amplivasatus, Macroseta rarisetis, Adelodrilus sp., Phallodrilus sp. 1, (?)Phallodrilus sp. 2, Grania macrochaeta pusilla, G. maricola, G. variochaeta, and G. postclitellochaeta, for some of which taxonomic notes are given. P. amplivasatus and G. macrochaeta pusilla are characteristic of the deeper, finer sediments, while the remaining species are more restricted to the shallower, often shelly sediments. Some other ecological and b...