Spermatodesm reorganization in the spermatophore and in the spermatheca of the bushcricket Tylopsis liliifolia (Fabricius) (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae)

Fluorescence microscopy study on the cytoskeletal displacements during sperm differentiation in the bush‐cricket Tylopsis liliifolia (Fabricius) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

“…The results from our investigation on T. liliifolia at the four examined districts, where previous ultrastructural studies on the same species showed significant changes of the male gamete before its interaction with the female gamete (Viscuso et al, 2012;Viscuso and Vitale, 2015), lead to assert that the two considered cytoskeletal components (microfilaments and microtubules) undergo gradual displacements during morphogenesis of the male gamete, mainly aimed to its organization and motility. These displacements are particularly marked during the gamete differentiation at the testicular follicles than at the other three examined districts.…”

“…With regard to the acrosome organization of T. liliifolia , furthermore, α‐tubulin is uniformly localized to the whole acrosomal region during the early stages of spermiogenesis; instead, when the acrosomal wings have completed their twisting and are closely adherent to the anterior region of the gamete (Viscuso et al, ; Viscuso and Vitale, ), α‐tubulin positivity is found only at the anterior tract of the acrosomal region, whereas the region of the acrosomal wings shows no positivity in all of the gametes from the various examined districts.…”

“…With regard to the acrosome organization of T. liliifolia, furthermore, a-tubulin is uniformly localized to the whole acrosomal region during the early stages of spermiogenesis; instead, when the acrosomal wings have completed their twisting and are closely adherent to the anterior region of the gamete (Viscuso et al, 2012;Viscuso and Vitale, 2015), a-tubulin positivity is found only at the anterior tract of the acrosomal region, whereas the region of the acrosomal wings shows no positivity in all of the gametes from the various examined districts. The latter finding, however, in disagreement with what shown in the bush-cricket Platycleis albopunctata (Guerra and Esponda, 1999), reinforces the hypothesis that microtubules could be involved only in the twisting of the acrosomal wings around the anterior region of the gamete.…”

“…We deemed interesting, therefore, to carry out an investigation on the cytoskeletal displacements during the differentiation of the male gamete and we have focused our attention on the bush-cricket Tettigoniidae Tylopsis liliifolia. Our recent surveys in this species, in fact, have shown genesis and organization of the male gametes and genesis of the spermatodesms into the testicular follicle, their features in male and female genital tracts and in the spermatophore (Sottile et al, 2010;Viscuso et al, 2012;Viscuso and Vitale, 2015). We deemed appropriate, therefore, to use T. liliifolia as a model of investigation, with the aim to broaden the knowledge on this species and to compare the results with what is known in other insects.…”

Morphostructural analysis of the male reproductive system and DNA barcoding in Balclutha brevis Lindberg 1954 (Homoptera, Cicadellidae)

“…It has to be noticed, in this regard, that in other species, also of other orders, the functional moment and/or the rapidity of the reproductive processes was deemed to influence the ultrastructural observations Vitale et al, 2011;Viscuso and Vitale 2015). Nevertheless, the presumable spermiophagic activity of B. brevis, also found in the seminal vesicles of several species of Orthoptera Tettigonioidea (Viscuso et al, 1999, could be aimed at both the elimination of gametes not suitable for fertilization and the reduction of any possible surplus of gametes then transferred to the female genital tracts.…”