ACCESSORY NUCLEI IN THE OOCYTES OF THE COCKOO WASP, CHRYSIS-IGNITA (HYMENOPTERA, ACULEATA)

In the oocytes of Chrysis ignita, accessory nuclei (AN) arise before y olk formation, during advanced previtellogenesis. Two categories of AN , small (SAN) and large (LAN) can be distinguished at this stage of de velopment. Both AN categories contain two dense, morphologically disti nct inclusions (termed A and B) immersed in a translucent matrix. AN a re exclusively located in the cortical (peripheral) ooplasm. Moreover, LAN are asymmetrically distributed also along the antero-posterior ax is of the oocyte, and occur preferentially in the anterior pole peripl asm. In contrast, the distribution of SAN is uniform throughout the pe riplasm.