Notes on Midgut Ultrastructure of C<I>imex hemipterus</I> (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

Abstract

This work studied the ultrastructure of the midgut cells of Cimex hemipterus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae). The midgut of adult insects was analyzed on different days after a bloodmeal, and three anatomical regions with different digestive functions were apparent. In the anterior midgut, the digestive cells had many spherocrystals, lipid inclusions, and glycogen deposits, suggesting a role in water absorption, ion regulation, digestion, and storage of lipids and sugars. The digestive cells in the middle midgut contained secretory granules in the apical cytoplasm, lysosomes, and large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum, suggesting that this midgut region was active in digestive processes. The posterior midgut contained digestive cells with secretory vesicles, lysosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and spherocrystals, suggesting digestion and ion/water absorption. Also, there was strong evidence that the posterior midgut may be the major site of nutrient absorption. The hematophagous heteropteran groups share many of these blood digestion mechanisms.

Effects of neem oil (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) on midgut cells of predatory larvae Ceraeochrysa claveri (Navás, 1911) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

“…Spherites or spherocrystals are associated with absorption, transport and storage of organic and inorganic elements, which could be utilized on demand for metabolic process in the midgut epithelial cells as observed in D. saccharalis by Pinheiro et al (2008), in Brontocoris tabidus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) by Fialho et al (2009), in Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) by Azevedo et al (2009), in Triatoma vitticeps (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) by Rocha et al (2010) and Euroleon nostras (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) by Lipovšek et al (2012).…”

Comparison of different cytogenetic methods and tissue suitability for the study of chromosomes in Cimex lectularius (Heteroptera, Cimicidae)

“…This tissue should be suitable for cytogenetic study due to continual wasting of digestive cells, followed by intensive mitotic division and differentiation of the regenerative (= stem) cells (e.g. Azevedo et al 2009, Rost-Roszkowska et al 2010a, 2010b. Nevertheless, midgut epithelium slides of C. lectularius contained no countable mitotic chromosomes.…”

Comparison of different cytogenetic methods and tissue suitability for the study of chromosomes in Cimex lectularius (Heteroptera, Cimicidae)

“…This tissue should be suitable for cytogenetic study due to continual wasting of digestive cells, followed by intensive mitotic division and differentiation of the regenerative (= stem) cells (e.g. Azevedo et al 2009, Rost-Roszkowska et al 2010a, 2010b). Nevertheless, midgut epithelium slides of Cimex lectularius contained no countable mitotic chromosomes.…”