THE POST-OVARIAN GENITAL COMPLEX IN THE DAMSELFLY, ISCHNURA-AURORA AURORA (BRAUER) (INSECTA, ODONATA)

The post-ovarian genital complex of Ischnura aurora aurora (Brauer) is situated on the eighth abdominal sternum just beneath the terminal ab dominal ganglion. It is ectodermal in origin and consists of a bursa c opulatrix. Spermatheca and vagina The spermatheca opens into the bursa copulatrix through a long narrow spermathecal duct. The bursa copulat rix opens mid-dorsally into the vagina through a bursa communis which contains cuticular denticles. The cuticular intima of the vagina forms the anterior cuticular valves and the lateral plates. The posterior r egion of the vagina modifies into a genital atrium. The vagina is exte rnally enveloped by three pairs of sternal muscles. The paired tubular female accessory sex glands with long ducts are lodged in the ninth a bdominal segment and open into the genital atrium. The-histological an d scanning electron mcroscopic studies on POGC reveal various structur al modifications in relation to sperm-storage, transport and fertiliza tion of the egg in I.a. aurora.