G. Tirone et Rmp. Avancini, DEVELOPMENT OF FEMALE ACCESSORY-GLANDS OF CHRYSOMYA-PUTORIA (WIEDEMANN) (DIPTERA, CALLIPHORIDAE) DURING OOGENESIS, International journal of insect morphology & embryology, 26(1), 1997, pp. 1-7
Females of Chrysomya putoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) have two sexual
accessory glands, which are tubular and more dilated al the distal ext
remity. The glands open independently into the common oviduct. Two mor
pho-physiological regions were distinguished in the longitudinal semi-
thin sections of the glands. The secretory region is constituted by th
ree layers: a cuticular intima, lining the lumen, followed by a layer
of small cells, and then a layer of very large secretory cells. The du
ctal region of the gland presents only two layers: the cuticular intim
a and a cellular layer. In both regions a basement membrane is present
. Each secretory cell has in its apical region a reservoir, which enla
rges throughout oogenesis; in its basal region there is a large nucleu
s. The ductal cells are cylindrical and smaller than the secretory cel
ls. The glandular secretion is synthesized in the cytoplasm of the sec
retory cells, stored and/or modified in the reservoir, then drained to
the lumen through an end apparatus seen in the apical region of the s
ecretory cell. Histochemical tests indicate that this secretion is a g
lycoprotein. Measurements of the glands from females at different phys
iological conditions and fed on different diets correlate with the res
ults obtained for changes in the ovary during oogenesis. Cell number a
veraged 561.2+/-77.54 per gland. There was no increase in cell number
during oogenesis. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.