Anatomy of the Reproductive System of Macrodactylus mexicanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Melolonthidae) and its Possible Relationship with Sexual Chemical Communication

作者：Neri Benitez Herrera Luz; Martinez M Imelda; Alonso Romero Lopez Angel

来源：Southwestern Entomologist, 2015, 40(1): 189-198.

An anatomical description of Macrodactylus mexicanus (Burmeister) female and male reproductive systems and a histological study of the genital chamber and accessory glands (types I and II) of females was done to obtain evidence of production of attractants from these structures. The morphology and the arrangement of the female and the male reproductive systems are similar to those of other Melolonthidae. In histological respect, the glandular epithelium of accessory gland type I is multi-layered; the basal layer is formed by cubic cells with a slight amount of cytoplasm; the other secretory cells are round, large or small with abundant or slight secretions. The glandular epithelium of accessory gland type II is multi-layered; the basal layer is formed by round secretory cells with abundant cytoplasm, the other layers are formed by elongated secretory cells with a big and elongated nucleus, these cells produce abundant secretions. The epithelium of the genital chamber has a layer of cubic cells and a thin cuticular layer, some oenocytes were also found. In summary, we conclude than the two pairs of accessory glands (types I and II) have anatomical and histological characteristics indicating they could be involved in production of chemical attractants and oenocytes in the genital chamber that can be associated with attractant precursors.

• 出版日期2015-3