Showing papers by "Gustavo Ferreira Martins published in 2005"

Notes on the spermatheca of Vespidae and Sphecidae (Hymenoptera)

Abstract: The insect spermathecae are the female sperm storage organs. In this study we investigated the spermathecal structure in field captured females of Polistes erytrocephalus, P. similimus, P. versicolor, Mischocyttarus cassununga, M. drewseni, Mischocyttarus sp., Apoica sp. and Zethus miniatus (Vespidae) and Trypoxylon albiatarse, T. lactitarse, Sceliphron sp. and Microstigmus brasiliensis (Sphecidae). Spermathecae were fixed, dehydrated in ethanol and embedded in historesin. Pieces were cleared in xylene for whole mounts. Sections were stained and photographed under a light microscope. In Vespidae the spermatheca consists of a single epithelial layer subdivided into three main regions: globular reservoir, spermathecal duct and spermathecal gland. In Sphecidae the spermathecal duct is long and coiled and the reservoir is narrow. In the spermatheca of M. brasiliensis a globular reservoir is not found. In Vespidae there is a Y-shaped spermathecal gland. In Trypoxylon the gland has two branches while in M. brasiliensis there is only one branch. In Vespidae the spermatheca has a fibrous multi-layered cover surrounding the spermatheca, except for the large extension of the gland. We think that this covering may be correlated with spermatozoa protection. We can conclude that the spermatheca of Trypoxylon was more similar to the spermathecae of Vespidae than M. brasiliensis which does not have the globular reservoir and the spermatozoa are placed in a parallel arrangement.