Unusually large sperm cells in Alticinae: Their formation and transportation in the male genital system, and their evolution

Virkki, Niilo; Bruck, Tanya

doi:10.1007/978-94-011-1781-4_31

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…An accessory gland may be present or absent, single or paired, with varying shapes and number of lobes. Spermatozoa studies along the lines of Virrki and Bruck (1994) will help determine variations within Cassidinae and among other subfamilies.…”

Section: Abdomen (Fig 39a; Characters 189-210)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Biology and Phylogeny of the Cassidinae Gyllenhal Sensu Lato (Tortoise and Leaf-Mining Beetles) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Chaboo¹

2007

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

140

163

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A parsimony analysis was undertaken to test subfamily and tribal group concepts of Cassidinae (ca. 2000 genera, ca. 6000 species). An integrated account of their biology was synthesized from the primary literature. A detailed morphological study of adults, using Hemisphaerota palmarum Boheman as a model, formed the basis for evaluating characters previously utilized and for defining novel characters. The data matrix comprised 210 characters (from adults and immature stages, ecology and behavior), 6 outgroups, and 98 ingroup exemplar species (representing 94 genera and 39 of the 43 recognized cassidine tribes). Results support the monophyly of Cassidinae and place it as sister to Galerucinae. The classical Hispinae s.str. is paraphyletic whereas the classical Cassidinae s.str. is monophyletic if some Imatidiine genera are included. Four tribes-Aproidini, Delocraniini, Hemisphaerotini, and Notosacanthini-are well supported by many autapomorphies. Multiple genera were sampled to test the monophyly of 14 cassidine tribes. Seven were recovered as monophyletic: Anisoderini, Cassidini, Dorynotini, Eugenysini, Hispini, Omocerini, and Spilophorini. Relationships and character support of all cassidine tribes are discussed and compared with phylogenies proposed by Borowiec (1995) and Hsiao and Windsor (1999).The biological account and these phylogenetic results provide an opportunity for identifying some general trends and major innovations in the evolutionary history of Cassidinae. The alteration of the adult head from prognathy to hypognathy and the compaction of the body, legs, and various elytral-locking mechanisms are recurrent themes in adult morphology. Maternal care may have arisen once or twice. Seven trophic guilds are defined here for Cassidine larvae. They arise from two large radiations of leaf-mining and exophagous-feeding, a minor radiation in cryptic rolled-leaf feeding, and small generic and sub-generic specializations in stem mining, leaf scraping, petalophagy, and leaf-shelter chewers. Fecal shield construction and retention appear to be correlated with innovations in life history and in larval and pupal morphology, and they may have played an important role in cassidine diversification.

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Section: Abdomen (Fig 39a; Characters 189-210)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Biology and Phylogeny of the Cassidinae Gyllenhal Sensu Lato (Tortoise and Leaf-Mining Beetles) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Chaboo¹

2007

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

140

163

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“…It has been suggested that sperm packages with increased compression, caused by folding, would be easier to transfer (Michalik and Mercati, 2010;Vrech et al, 2011). Studies of insects suggest the interaction between spermatozoa and the male genital tract favors bending in sperm aggregates Bruck, 1996, 2003;Joly et al, 2003;Joly et al, 2008), especially for the transport of long sperm groups (sperm bundles) through the testes, a hypothesis supported by Bruck (1978) and Virkki and Bruck (1994). The present study suggests that folding is maximized in ellipsoidal sperm packages, with the compression reinforced by the addition of a sheath covering the spermatozoa.…”

Section: Hypotheses For the Evolution And Function Of Sperm Conjugati...mentioning

confidence: 96%

Bundles of Sperm: Structural Diversity in Scorpion Sperm Packages Illuminates Evolution of Insemination in an Ancient Lineage

Vrech

Peretti

Prendini

et al. 2022

American Museum Novitates

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The spermatozoa of scorpions are often bundled together, forming a type of sperm conjugation known as a sperm package. Sperm packages may be found inside the testes and seminal vesicles but vanish in the female atrium, leaving free spermatozoa. Previous studies, based on a limited number of taxa, suggested a diversity of sperm package morphology across the order Scorpiones C.L. Koch, 1850. However, the sperm packages of most scorpion taxa remained unknown. The present study provides the first systematic survey of sperm package morphology across the order, covering 89 exemplar species in 66 genera and 19 families representing all suprafamilial ranks, with a more detailed investigation of the family Bothriuridae Simon, 1880. Whereas all exemplar species of scorpions exhibit sperm packages, Buthida Soleglad and Fet, 2003, including Chaerilidae Pocock, 1893, and most Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837, present unorganized sperm or loosely organized bundles. Although the details vary, three main types of sperm packages may be recognized in all other families: single folded; straight; and multiple folded. Subtypes may be identified according to general shape and folding patterns, mainly among sperm packages that are folded multiple times. Single-folded sperm packages are the most common type observed in the order. Although most sperm packages lack a covering, a conspicuous secretion sheath may be evident, e.g., in some Chactidae Pocock, 1893. Sperm

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Adaptation to long sperm in Drosophila: correlated development of the sperm roller and sperm packaging

2007

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Sperm are generally small and produced in huge numbers, but some species combine exaggerated sperm length with extremely limited numbers of sperm, an evolutionary trend that deviates from the theory of anisogamy. Sperm gigantism has arisen recurrently in various species, but insects exhibit the longest sperm, with some species of the Drosophilidae family producing sperm up to 6 cm in length. The anatomical, cytological, and physiological requirements for males to cope with these giant sperm were hitherto poorly understood. In this paper, we investigate the internal morphology of the male reproductive tract, and highlight specific features that may be linked to this increase in sperm size. We focus on species in the repleta group, within which sperm length varies by a factor of 35. An associated development of the sperm roller, a special twisting device inserted between the testis and the seminal vesicle, is demonstrated. Its length and the number of coils involved increase with sperm size, and it allows individual sperm to swell and roll into a spermatic pellet before reaching the seminal vesicle. This process occurs independently of and in addition to the sperm bundle coiling that takes place at the base of the testis. It is suggested that the emergence and development of the sperm roller may be a male adaptation to sperm gigantism.

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Unusually large sperm cells in Alticinae: Their formation and transportation in the male genital system, and their evolution

Cited by 5 publications

References 33 publications

Biology and Phylogeny of the Cassidinae Gyllenhal Sensu Lato (Tortoise and Leaf-Mining Beetles) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Biology and Phylogeny of the Cassidinae Gyllenhal Sensu Lato (Tortoise and Leaf-Mining Beetles) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Bundles of Sperm: Structural Diversity in Scorpion Sperm Packages Illuminates Evolution of Insemination in an Ancient Lineage

Adaptation to long sperm in Drosophila: correlated development of the sperm roller and sperm packaging

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