Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T16:47:15.571Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE ABDOMINAL EVERSIBLE SACS OF FEMALE BEZZIA VARICOLOR (COQUILLETT) (CERATOPOGONIDAE: DIPTERA)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

A. Borkent
Affiliation:
Royal British Columbia Museum, 2330 - 70th Street, SE, Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada V1E 4M3
D.A. Craig
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E3

Abstract

Eversible sacs (= "scent organs" or "eversible tubes" or "eversible glands" of previous authors) are present in the abdomens of females of species of Stenoxenus Coquillett, Paryphoconus Enderlein, Clastrieromyia Spinelli and Grogan, Bezzia Kieffer, Phaenobezzia Haeselbarth, Amerohelea Grogan and Wirth, Pachyhelea Wirth, and Palpomyia Meigen. In Bezzia varicolor (Coquillett) they are attached by muscles to dorsal internal tergal apodemes. When retracted, the sacs lie along the length of the apodemes. Suggested functions of the eversible sacs have ranged from roles in mating, mimicry of adult mayfly cerci to enhance predation, to glandular. However, histological examination showed no evidence of glandular tissue associated with the sacs, so a glandular function is discounted. We suggest other possible functions.

Résumé

On trouve des sacs évaginables dans l’abdomen des femelles chez les espèces de Stenoxenus Coquillett, Paryphoconus Enderlein, Clastrieromyia Spinelli et Grogan, Bezzia Kieffer, Phaenobezzia Haeselbarth, Amerohelea Grogan et Wirth, Pachyhelea Wirth et Palpomyia Meigen. Chez Bezzia varicolor (Coquillett), ces sacs sont rattachés par des muscles aux apodèmes dorsaux internes des tergites. Invaginés, les sacs reposent longitudinalement le long des apodèmes. Des rôles divers ont été attribués à ces sacs évaginables : fonction reproductrice, mimétisme des cerques des éphémères pour favoriser la prédation, fonction glandulaire. Cependant, un examen histologique a démontré qu’aucun tissu glandulaire ne semble associé aux sacs et cette fonction n’est donc pas plausible. Nous suggérons d’autres possibilités.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Borkent, A., and Grogan, W.L.. 1994. A revision of the genus Ceratopogon Meigen with a discussion of phylogenetic relationships, zoogeography and bionomic divergence (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Washington. In press.Google Scholar
Craig, D.A., and Borkent, A.. 1980. Intra- and inter-familial homologies of maxillary palpal sensilla of larval Simuliidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha). Canadian Journal of Zoology 58: 22642279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Downes, J.A. 1978. Feeding and Mating in the Insectivorous Ceratopogoninae (Diptera). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 104: 62 pp.Google Scholar
Downes, J.A., and Wirth, W.W.. 1981. Ceratopogonidae. pp. 393–421 in McAlpine, J.F. et al. , (Eds.), Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Vol. 1. Agriculture Canada Monograph 27: 674 pp.Google Scholar
Edwards, F.W. 1920. Scent-organs (?) in female midges of the Palpomyia group. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9) 6: 365368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grogan, W.L., and Wirth, W.W.. 1979. The North American Predaceous Midges of the Genus Palpomyia Meigen (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Washington 8: 125 pp.Google Scholar
Hoffman, W.A. 1924. The presence of an eversible gland in a midge. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 26: 144.Google Scholar
Humason, G.L. 1972. Animal Tissue Techniques. Freeman & Co., San Francisco, CA. 569 pp.Google Scholar
Malloch, J.R. 1914. Notes on North American Diptera, with descriptions of new species in the collection of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History. Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History 10: 213243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAlpine, J.F. 1981. Morphology and terminology — adults. pp. 9–63 in McAlpine, J.F. et al. , (Eds.), Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Vol. 1. Agriculture Canada Monograph 27: 674 pp.Google Scholar
Owen, W.B. 1980. Morphology of the abdominal skeleton and muscles of the mosquito, Culiseta inornata (Williston) (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Morphology 166: 155178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pritchard, G., and Mutch, C.. 1984. Intermoult cuticle and muscle growth in Tipula larvae (Insect, Diptera). Canadian Journal of Zoology 62: 13511354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Varley, G.C. 1948. A ceratopogonid fly, Palpomyia semifumosa Goet., feeding on mayflies. The Entolomogist's Monthly Magazine 84: 3638.Google Scholar
Wensler, J.D., and Rempel, J.G.. 1962. The morphology of the male and female reproductive systems of the midge, Chironomus plumosus L. Canadian Journal of Zoology 40: 199229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wirth, W.W., Palchick, S.M., and Forster, L.. 1984. The North American predaceous midges of the Bezzia annulipes group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 86: 155175.Google Scholar