Copulation in the Cricket is Performed by Chain Reaction

Shimizu, Masaki; Kumashiro, Mikihiko

doi:10.2108/zsj.21.705

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Their lateral sides consist of a strongly sclerotized cuticle while medially the cuticle is thin and flexible forming a conspicuous bulge at each ga8 base (“soft lateral walls” of [23]). The two bulges form the soft-walled margin of the genital opening.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new kind of auxiliary heart in insects: functional morphology and neuronal control of the accessory pulsatile organs of the cricket ovipositor

et al. 2014

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IntroductionIn insects, the pumping of the dorsal heart causes circulation of hemolymph throughout the central body cavity, but not within the interior of long body appendages. Hemolymph exchange in these dead-end structures is accomplished by special flow-guiding structures and/or autonomous pulsatile organs (“auxiliary hearts”). In this paper accessory pulsatile organs for an insect ovipositor are described for the first time. We studied these organs in females of the cricket Acheta domesticus by analyzing their functional morphology, neuroanatomy and physiological control.ResultsThe lumen of the four long ovipositor valves is subdivided by longitudinal septa of connective tissue into efferent and afferent hemolymph sinuses which are confluent distally. The countercurrent flow in these sinuses is effected by pulsatile organs which are located at the bases of the ovipositor valves. Each of the four organs consists of a pumping chamber which is compressed by rhythmically contracting muscles. The morphology of the paired organs is laterally mirrored, and there are differences in some details between the dorsal and ventral organs. The compression of the pumping chambers of each valve pair occurs with a left-right alternating rhythm with a frequency of 0.2 to 0.5 Hz and is synchronized between the dorsal and ventral organs. The more anteriorly located genital chamber shows rhythmical lateral movements simultaneous to those of the ovipositor pulsatile organs and probably supports the hemolymph exchange in the abdominal apex region. The left-right alternating rhythm is produced by a central pattern generator located in the terminal ganglion. It requires no sensory feedback for its output since it persists in the completely isolated ganglion. Rhythm-modulating and rhythm-resetting interneurons are identified in the terminal ganglion.ConclusionThe circulatory organs of the cricket ovipositor have a unique functional morphology. The pumping apparatus at the base of each ovipositor valve operates like a bellow. It forces hemolymph via sinuses delimited by thin septa of connective tissue in a countercurrent flow through the valve lumen. The pumping activity is based on neurogenic control by a central pattern generator in the terminal ganglion.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new kind of auxiliary heart in insects: functional morphology and neuronal control of the accessory pulsatile organs of the cricket ovipositor

et al. 2014

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“…However, some of the spermatophore material is left on the inner surface of the dorsal pouch every time the spermatophore is produced and released. If it remained inside and coagulated, the complex dorsal pouch cavity for moulding the attachment plate and the narrow median groove (30 μm wide and 200 μm deep) (Sakai and Kumashiro 2004) for the spermatophore tube (7 μm in diameter and 2 mm in length) would not function properly as the mould. Thus, any debris should be removed from the dorsal pouch before casting new spermatophore material.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of these derive from excrement fallen from the perianal regions just above the opening. In contrast, during copulation, the genital chamber is repeatedly opened under the female, and foreign substances from the male and female abdomens can easily enter the chamber (Sakai and Kumashiro 2004;Sakai et al 1991). Also, for a 20-30-min following copulation, foreign substances can enter the widely opened genital chamber while the spermatophore material solidifies after its secretion (spermatophore preparation stage).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genitalic autogrooming: a self-filling trash collection system in crickets

Kumashiro

Tsuji

Shimizu

2006

Naturwissenschaften

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Insects groom almost all parts of the body surface with their legs and mouth parts. However, some body regions are difficult to reach and keep clean. One is the genital chamber located in the last abdominal segment in males which houses the phallic complex for copulation and production of the spermatophore. In the male cricket, foreign substances can enter the genital chamber when it is opened during copulation and spermatophore formation. Moreover, the dorsal pouch and ventral lobes of the phallic complex, which mould the attachment plate, tube, and ampulla of the spermatophore, are inevitably soiled as a result of spermatophore production. We found a unique cleaning system in which foreign substances accumulated during copulation and spermatophore debris left in the dorsal pouch after copulation are quickly removed and collected in special pockets in the genital chamber. This trash is collected by undulation of the genital chamber's membranous floor which is entirely covered by small scales ( approximately 10 microm) similar to those in the ovipositor of female crickets. This self-filling trash collecting system may be used in some other insects which produce the spermatophore in a similar manner to that of crickets.

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“…The membrane complex showed a characteristic undulation at 0.16 Hz (Sakai and Kumashiro, 2004) that consists of two types of movement, a large shift and crease-like movements. In the large shift, the median pouch wriggled right to left alternately.…”

Section: Two Types Of Movement In the Membrane Complexmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This system is indispensable for the production of a normal spermatophore (Kumashiro and Sakai, 2016). The genital membrane complex consisting of the median pouch and genital chamber floor is entirely covered by small scales and undulates rhythmically at a frequency of 0.16 Hz (Sakai and Kumashiro, 2004). It has been shown that the scaled membrane has a crucial role in the transport of dirt and waste to the lateral pouch serving as a trash container.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%