ABSTRACT. The cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in the Java fruit bat, Pteropus vampyrus, and the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus cornutus, was investigated by light microscopy and the characteristics of spermiogenesis were compared between these two species. In the Java fruit bat, the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium was divided into 11 stages and developing spermatids were subdivided into 13 steps. While in the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat, the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium was divided into 10 stages and developing spermatids were subdivided into 13 steps. Excepting slight morphological differences, the characteristics of acrosomal formation in both species were almost similar with each other. In the Java fruit bat after stage VII, the acrosome gradually elongated, flattened and finally became scoop-like in shape. In the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat after stage VIII, the acrosome elongated, flattened and then slightly shortened. Before spermiation, the acrosome became long spatula-like in shape. The elongation and flattening of spermatids in these two species were similar to those in insectivores. The finding may reflect the fact that the order Chiroptera is phylogenetically close to the order Insectivora. KEY WORDS: acrosome, cycle of seminiferous epithelium, Japanese lesser horseshoe bat, Java fruit bat, spermiogenesis.

Abstract. Lectin binding patterns in the testes of the Java fruit bat, Pteropus vampyrus, and the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus cornutus, were investigated by light microscopy. Binding patterns were similar in both species, except for some slight differences. UEA-I, SBA, DBA and BSL-I revealed no reaction in the testes of either species. Con A and WGA gave a diffuse reaction all over the seminiferous epithelium in both species. In addition to this binding pattern, PHA-E exhibited a granular reaction within the cytoplasm of pachytene spermatocytes. PNA and RCA-I gave an intense reaction in the acrosomal region from Golgi to acrosome-phase spermatids in both species, but, in addition to this binding pattern, RCA-I reacted in the cytoplasm of spermatocytes and spermatids in the Java fruit bats. PSA revealed a granular reaction in the cytoplasm of spermatids in the Japanese lesser horseshoe bats. These binding patterns were similar to those of mammals studied before, except that a few specific bindings were detected in the bats.

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