The morphology and histology of the male reproductive system in <i>Apodiphus amygdali</i> (Germar, 1817) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstract

This paper reveals the morphology and histology of the adult male reproductive system in the stink bug, Apodiphus amygdali (Germar, 1817), using light and scanning electron microscopy. Males have a pair of testes situated laterally to the alimentary canal, a pair of elongated cylindrical vasa deferentia and seminal vesicles, which join in a complex bulbus ejaculatorius, a ductus ejaculatorius, a pair of ectodermal sacs, a pair of accessory glands, and the phallus. Each testis consists of seven testicular follicles connected to the vas deferens. Each follicle contains a germarium, followed apically by growth zones where spermatozoa differentiate in the direction of the vasa deferentia. Each testis is connected to the seminal vesicle by a vas deferens. The seminal vesicles are connected to the bulbus ejaculatorius, which is surrounded by the tubularly coiled accessory glands. The bulbus ejaculatorius is continuous with the ductus ejaculatorius and connects to the aedeagus demonstrating its ectodermic origin.

Ultrastructure of male reproductive system of Eurydema ventrale Kolenati 1846 (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

“…In the proximal region of the testes, near to insertion of the seminal vesicle, these cells are free. The mechanisms of spermatogenesis in E. ventrale, including sperm differentiation, are rather similar in other Heteroptera (Bowen, 1922;Chapman, 1998;Davis, 1956;Engelmann, 1970;Jamieson et al, 1999;Karakaya et al, 2012;Lemos et al, 2005;€ Ozyurt et al, 2013a€ Ozyurt et al, , 2013b€ Ozyurt et al, , 2014Pires et al, 2007;Rodrigues Agna et al, 2008).…”

“…Morphological character studies of the male reproductive system have been made in several insect species including the Heteroptera, resulting in considerable progress with histological, ultrastructural and cytochemical studies of the structures that make up this organ (Bahadur, 1975;Bairati, 1968;Forbes and Do-Van-Quy, 1965;Ferreira et al, 2004;Freitas et al, 2007aFreitas et al, , 2007bFreitas et al, , 2010Lemos et al, 2005;Louis and Kumar, 1971;Mikheyev, 2004;€ Ozyurt et al 2013a€ Ozyurt et al , 2013b€ Ozyurt et al , 2014Wheeler and Krutzsch, 1992). The morphology of the adult male reproductive system of E. ventrale is similar to that observed in other Heteroptera, in being associated with the third abdominal segment, with a pair of testes, two vas deferens, two seminal vesicles, a pair of accessory glands, a pair of ectodermal sac, one bulbus and ductus ejaculatorius (Adams, 2001;Bonhag and Wick, 1953;Chapman, 1998;Davis, 1956;Freitas et al, 2010;Karakaya et al, 2012;Lemos et al, 2005;Nijhout, 1998;€ Ozyurt et al, 2013a€ Ozyurt et al, , 2013b€ Ozyurt et al, , 2014Rodrigues Agna et al, 2008). However, the testes of some species of heteroptera may be fused into a single median mass testes (Nijhout, 1998).…”

“…These tubule numbers are commonly found within Heteroptera and typical for pentatomids as in the E. ventrale. The number of the follicles varies widely between species and has taxonomic importance (Matsuda, 1976;Davis, 1956;Pendergrast, 1956;Kumar, 1969a;Kumar, 1969b;Lemos et al, 2005;Jahnke et al, 2006;Pap aček and Sold an, 2008;Rodrigues Agna et al, 2008;Wieczorek and Swiatek, 2009;Freitas et al, 2010;Karakaya et al, 2012;€ Ozyurt et al, 2013a€ Ozyurt et al, , 2013b€ Ozyurt et al, , 2014.…”

“…Testes in E. ventrale, Perillus bioculatus (Fabricius) (Pentatomidae: Asopinae) and A.amygdali (Germar) (Adams, 2001;€ Ozyurt et al, 2014) consists of seven sperm tubes, but in Nezara viridula (Linnaeus), Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas), Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus), Graphosoma lineatum (Linnaeus) (Pentatomidae), and Aphelocheirus aestivalis Fabricius (Heteroptera: Aphelocheiridae) 4-6 sperm tubes are observed (Lemos et al, 2005;Ramamurty, 1969;€ Ozyurt et al, 2013a€ Ozyurt et al, , 2013b. In Adparaproba gabrieli Carvalho (Heteroptera: Miridae), two follicles are observed (Uceli et al, 2011).…”

“…In Adparaproba gabrieli Carvalho (Heteroptera: Miridae), two follicles are observed (Uceli et al, 2011). The sperm tubes of E. ventrale as in other heteropterans are covered by a peritoneal sheath and a tunica propria (Chapman, 1998;Davis, 1956;Karakaya et al, 2012;€ Ozyurt et al, 2013a€ Ozyurt et al, , 2013b€ Ozyurt et al, , 2014Pires et al, 2007;Rodrigues Agna et al, 2008).…”