Ovaries of Puto superbus and Ceroputo pilosellae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea): Morphology, ultrastructure, phylogenetic and taxonomic implications

Abstract

Abstract. Ovaries of Puto superbus and Ceroputo pilosellae are composed of numerous short telotrophic ovarioles that are arranged around the distal part of the lateral oviduct. An individual ovariole consists of a distal trophic chamber (= tropharium) and proximal vitellarium. The tropharia enclose individual trophocytes (= nurse cells) and early previtellogenic oocytes termed arrested oocytes. A single oocyte develops in each vitellarium. Analysis of serial sections has shown that ovarioles of P. superbus contain from 16 to 51 germ cells (13-43 trophocytes, 2-7 arrested oocytes, 1 developing oocyte) while those of C. pilosellae from only 8 to 10 germ cells (5-7 trophocytes, 0-2 arrested oocytes, 1 developing oocyte). The classification and phylogeny of scale insects are discussed taking into consideration the results of this study.

Symbiotic microorganisms in Puto superbus (Leonardi, 1907) (Insecta, Hemiptera, Coccomorpha: Putoidae)

“…It should be stressed that results of studies of the symbionts of the genus Puto (Szklarzewicz et al 2010 ; Gruwell et al 2014 ; this study), as well as results of previous studies on the organization of their ovaries (for further details, see Michalik et al 2013 ), strongly support the current systematic position of these scale insects, i.e., in the separate Putoidae family within the archaeococcoid subgroup. This view is substantiated by the observation that the symbiotic bacterium Tremblaya phenacola in mealybugs from the family Pseudococcidae (subfamily Phenacoccinae), to which P. superbus was formerly classified (see “Introduction”), belongs to distinct group of bacteria, namely to the class Betaproteobacteria (Gruwell et al 2010 ; Koga et al 2013 ).…”

“…This means that the bacterium may feminize male embryos, kill male embryos, cause cytoplasmic incompatibility in infected males and uninfected females, and may also induce parthenogenesis (for further details, see Werren 1997 ; Stouthamer et al 1999 ; Werren et al 2008 ). The function of the bacterium in P. superbus remains unclear; however, both previous studies on ovaries (Michalik et al 2013 ) as present studies on symbionts did not reveal the negative influence of these bacteria on the reproduction of the host insect. As we have analyzed only two populations of P. superbus , it still remains unknown whether this bacterium is present in specimens from other locations.…”

“…It was observed that numerous separate bacteriocytes (i.e., not integrated into the bacteriome) are also scattered among ovarioles constituting the ovaries (Fig. 2 c) (for further details concerning organization of ovary in P. superbus , see Michalik et al 2013 ). Bacteriocytes accompanying ovarioles are less voluminous and are much more tightly packed with symbiotic bacteria (Fig.…”

“…The Putoidae family has been placed among neococcoids (Koteja 1996 ; Koteja and Azar 2008 ) or archaeococcoids (Gullan and Cook 2007 ; Kondo et al 2008 ; Gullan and Martin 2009 ). The placement of this family within archaeococcoid subgroup was supported by molecular and ultrastructural data (Cook et al 2002 ; Gullan and Cook 2007 ; Michalik et al 2013 ). The Putoidae contains two genera: Palaeoputo Koteja and Azar 2008 which encompasses only one fossil species and Puto Signoret, 1876 with 2 extinct and 45 extant species (García Morales et al 2016 ) .…”

Ovary of Matsucoccus pini (Insecta, Hemiptera, Coccinea: Matsucoccidae): Morphology, ultrastructure, and phylogenetic implications

“…All germ cells residing in the ovariole (trophocytes, arrested oocytes, and developing oocytes) form one cluster of interconnected cells. Results of numerous studies from recent 30 years have shown that ovaries of scale insects markedly differ from those of the remaining hemipterans (Koteja et al, ; Książkiewicz, ; Michalik et al, ; Niżnik and Szklarzewicz, ; Ramirez‐Cruz et al, ; Szklarzewicz and Biliński, ; Szklarzewicz, , b, c; Szklarzewicz et al, ). First, the ovaries of scale insects are as a rule composed of an enormous number of ovarioles (e.g., 300 in Porphyrophora polonica ) that radially extend from the lateral oviduct.…”