Sperm morphology of the neotropical harvestman Iporangaia pustulosa (Arachnida: Opiliones): Comparative morphology and functional aspects

Moya, J.; Mancini, Karina Carvalho; Machado, Glauco; Dolder, Heidi

doi:10.1016/j.asd.2006.07.006

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Polymorphism or differences in shapes have been cited mainly for sperm (e.g. Swallow & Wilkinson, 2002; Wigby & Chapman, 2004; Holman & Snook, 2006; Moya et al ., 2007) but few references for sperm packages are found (e.g. Takami & Sota, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm package morphology in scorpions and its relation to phylogeny

Vrech¹,

Peretti²,

Mattoni³

2011

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

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Sperm packages are widespread in the order Scorpiones, but absent in the family Buthidae. The morphology of sperm packages is diverse and apparently has phylogenetic information. The objectives of this work were to show diversity of sperm packages and to provide a quantitative basis for using sperm packages' morphology as a taxonomic character. For this, we conducted a morphological analysis and comparison of the different sperm packages of species of the family Bothriuridae. The seminal content from males of species of Bothriuridae was studied. Specimens from Iuridae, Buthidae, Euscorpiidae, Liochelidae, Scorpionidae, Vaejovidae, Chaerilidae, and Chactidae were used for comparison. Digital images of sperm packages were measured and statistically analysed based on the following variables: total length, head width, head-body angle, total area, and head length. Pairs of variables were also contrasted, and all the variables were correlated with the current phylogenetic hypothesis for Bothriuridae. High morphological diversity and variability in measures was observed. In general, measurements were similar within each genus, but differed amongst genera. Cane-like sperm packages are very common in species of the family Bothriuridae. Species from Bothriurus show a wide range of sperm package shapes, some of them shared with Timogenes and Vachonia species, supporting the idea of nonmonophyly of the genus. Many species showed sperm package dimorphism inside a single male. Some of the analysed features fit well with the phylogenetic hypothesis in Bothriuridae, and the general package shape shows high correlation with scorpion phylogeny in other families. Bent and round packages are the most common amongst the different families. Sperm packages are not developed in Chaerilidae, as in Buthidae. This is the first morphological and comparative analysis of sperm packages in scorpions, and reveals much greater diversity in this trait than previously known. Our results reinforce the idea that the study of morphology of sperm packages would contribute characters for scorpion phylogeny at different levels.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm package morphology in scorpions and its relation to phylogeny

Vrech¹,

Peretti²,

Mattoni³

2011

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

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“…Multiple mating allows for the potential for sperm competition (Parker, 1970;Kvarnemo & Simmons, 2013), as well as cryptic female choice during or after copulation (Eberhard, 1996). Harvestmen sperm are immotile (Alberti, 1995), stored in small female sperm receptacles at the tip of the ovipositors, and fertilize eggs as they are oviposited (Moya et al, 2007); thus, sperm competition would likely favor increased sperm transfer, which could be achieved through longer copulation and/or post-copulatory contact (e.g., Alcock, 1994;Simmons, 2001;Harts & Kokko, 2013;Sato et al, 2017), both of which are variable within and across leiobunine species. Remating could also generate conflict between males and females, as a female could benefit from acquiring more nuptial gift without much benefit to the male.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of mating behaviour across multiple populations and six species of leiobunine harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Fowler‐Finn

Boyer

Ikagawa

et al. 2019

Behav.

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Mating behaviour is highly diverse in animals both among and within species. We examine variation in mating behaviour in leiobunine harvestmen, which show high diversity in genitalic traits that are predicted to correspond to patterns of behavioural diversity. We ran mating trials for six species of leiobunine from four locations, and measured body size for a subset of individuals. We described mating behaviour in detail—providing the first formal description for most species—and examined variation inter- and intraspecific in body size and behaviour. Individuals were smaller in northern populations. Furthermore, we found species- and population-specific behaviours, high variation in the timing and success of different stages of mating, and high remating rates. However, we found no correlation between behavioural and morphological variation. Leiobunine harvestmen offer an excellent system for understanding multiple mechanisms of sexual selection and geographic diversification of mating behaviour.

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“…Pedipalpal dimorphism is also seen in the Japanese leiobunines Leiobunum globosum and L. manubriatum, in which females are facultatively asexual and may be experiencing a related transition towards sexual antagonism due to reproductive mode switching (Burns et al 2017). In all species, the penis is equipped with a flexible glans stylus that is presumably used to deliver aflagellate spermatozoa (Macías-Ordóñez et al 2010;Moya et al 2007) to the female's spermathecae.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2017 ). In all species, the penis is equipped with a flexible glans stylus that is presumably used to deliver aflagellate spermatozoa ( Moya et al. 2007 ; Macías-Ordóñez et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spermathecal Variation in Temperate Opiliones

Karachiwalla

Tagide

Burns

2020

Integrative and Comparative Biology

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Most arachnid fertilization occurs internally, allowing for a variety of post-copulatory mechanisms to take place. Females are expected to exert some level of control over sperm fate when 1) the point of gametic fusion is particularly distant from the point of oogenesis, 2) the time of syngamy is significantly later than the time of mating, 3) sperm are non-motile, and/or 4) the morphology of females allows for selective containment of sperm. Many of these conditions are met in Opiliones (a.k.a. “harvesters,” “harvestmen,” or “daddy-longlegs”), where we have evidence of sexual antagonism, multiple mating, and delayed oviposition for a number of species. We used confocal laser scanning microscopy to capture and analyze images of harvester spermathecae, structures within the genitalia of female arthropods that store and maintain sperm after copulation. Spermathecal morphology may have critical function in controlling seminal movement. We anticipated that species with previously identified traits associated with sexual antagonism would also have thicker and/or relatively more complex spermathecae. We examined spermathecal morphology in thirteen species of Leiobunum and one species of Hadrobunus, which were collected from North America and Japan. Our results show that eight species had structures consisting of a single chamber with no or partial invagination, and the remainder had multiple cuticular invaginations producing 2-3 lumina within the spermathecae. Using phylogenetic multivariate comparative methods, we estimated a trend towards cross-correlation between conflict and spermathecal traits. Some, but not all, of the species with thicker, more complex spermathecae had morphological traits associated with sexual conflict (larger body size, thicker genital muscle). In conclusion, we discuss methods to elucidate spermathecal mechanism and sperm precedence in these species. Confocal microscopy allowed us to visualize internal structures difficult to interpret with two-dimensional brightfield microscopy, a technique that could be applied to the characterization of internal reproductive structures in other arthropods.

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Sperm morphology of the neotropical harvestman Iporangaia pustulosa (Arachnida: Opiliones): Comparative morphology and functional aspects

Cited by 10 publications

References 13 publications

Sperm package morphology in scorpions and its relation to phylogeny

Sperm package morphology in scorpions and its relation to phylogeny

Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of mating behaviour across multiple populations and six species of leiobunine harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Spermathecal Variation in Temperate Opiliones

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