In the present study, spermatozoon ultrastructure was documented in two species of hangingflies,
Bittacus strigosus
Hagen (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) and B.
stigmaterus
Say. Structures considered important to phylogenetic assessment that were observed in
B. strigosus
and
B. stigmaterus
included a short bilayered acrosome, elongated nucleus, tube-like glycocalyx, centriole adjunct material, accessory bodies, two mitochondrial derivatives, extra axonemal rods, globular units, and 9+2 arrangement of microtubules in the axoneme. Comparisons were made to
Bittacus planus
Cheng, which was previously examined by electron microscopy (
Xie and Hua 2010
). Similarities among the ultrastructural characteristics of the three
Bittacus
species support the monophyly of this genus. Displacement of a mitochondrial derivative by an accessory body was documented for the first time. This paper includes clarifications on differences between accessory bodies and extra axonemal rods, which are issues important to phylogenetic placement.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.