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- Title
Polymorphism of spermatozoa in Largus rufipennis Laporte 1832 ( Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoroidea: Largidae).
- Authors
Araújo, Vinícius Albano; Báo, Sônia Nair; Lino‐Neto, José
- Abstract
The production of polymorphic spermatozoa has been registered in various insect orders such as Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera. In this work, morphology of two types of spermatozoa produced by Largus rufipennis was reported for the first time in the Largidae family. For this, techniques including optical and transmission electron microscopy were used. Spermatozoa measured, on the average, 260 and 200 μm, and both types possessed a nucleus measuring on the average 65 μm. No ultrastructural differences were observed between the two spermatozoa types from L. rufipennis. The head region is composed of an acrosome, a nucleus, and part of the centriolar adjunct. The centriolar adjunct is in parallel with the nucleus and followed by mitochondrial derivates. The flagellum consists of an axoneme (9 + 9 + 2 microtubules) and two mitochondrial derivatives; no other accessory bodies were observed. The mitochondrial derivatives are symmetric in size and diameter. A similar quantity of the two spermatozoa types was observed in the seminal vesicle (57% of the large type and 43% of the small type), while in the spermatheca of the female, the larger spermatozoa were preferentially stored (87%). These results permit discussions concerning of the species biology reproduction, most specifically sperm competition strategies.
- Subjects
SPERMATOZOA physiology; HEMIPTERA; LEPIDOPTERA; GENETIC polymorphisms; TRANSMISSION electron microscopy; ULTRASTRUCTURE (Biology); SPERM competition; PHYSIOLOGY
- Publication
Acta Zoologica, 2012, Vol 93, Issue 2, p239
- ISSN
0001-7272
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1463-6395.2011.00559.x