Ultrastructure of the Ducts of the Reproductive Tract of Males ofMelipona bicolor bicolorLepeletier (Hymenoptera, Apinae, Meliponini)

Abstract

The present paper describes the ultrastructural features of seminal vesicle, post-vesicular vas deferens and ejaculatory duct of Melipona bicolor bicolor from newly emerged and mature males. Although the results do not show very consistent morphological signs of secretory activity by the epithelium of these organs, lipidic droplets and lamellar granules present in mature males' seminal vesicles and the vacuoles present in post-vesicular vas deferens are probably secretion. Besides, the spermatozoa in the lumen are immersed in a material of characteristic structure, which must be produced in superior regions of the reproductive system of immature males, not studied here. The presence of sperm cells, apparently in cytoplasm vesicles of seminal vesicle and post-vesicular vas deferens, suggests spermiophagy by their epithelium.

Structural and ultrastructural characterization of male reproductive tracts and spermatozoa in fig wasps of the genus Pegoscapus (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)

“…The anterior portion stores the mature spermatozoa and participates in the reabsorption and digestion of defective cells (spermiophagy) and sperm fluid, as reported for other species ( Viscuso et al, 1999, Dallacqua and Cruz-Landim, 2003and Araújo et al, 2005a. On the other hand, the posterior seminal vesicle portion acts on the ejaculation ( Gerling andLegner, 1968 andBoomsma, 2004).…”

Morphology of male reproductive system in three species of Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) Richards (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

“…Ferreira et al (2004) in a study on 51 bee species from six families (according to the Michener classification, 1965) divided the male reproductive systems into four types according to the number of testicular follicles and the portion of the deferent duct covered by the scrotal membrane. In addition to this study, there are only two other studies on the male reproductive system of Apoidea, one by Dallacqua & Cruz Landim (2003) and another by Araújo et al (2005) that both report bees. The present study describes the male reproductive system of three species of Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) and is the fi rst study on the subject in spheciform wasp.…”

“…There is a seminal vesicle in each deferent duct, where the spermatozoa are stored until copulation and in each duct opens an accessory gland. However, there are structural variations in this pattern among groups of Hymenoptera, which have been used as sources of phylogenetic information (Cruz-Landim & Cruz-Hofl ing 1969, Gotwald & Burdette 1981, Wheeler & Krutzsch 1992, Duvoisin et al 1999, Baer & Schmid-Hempel 2000, Cruz-Landim 2001, Cruz-Landim & Dallacqua 2002, Baer 2003, Dallacqua & Cruz-Landim 2003, Tavares et al 2003, Ferreira et al 2004. Ferreira et al (2004) in a study on 51 bee species from six families (according to the Michener classification, 1965) divided the male reproductive systems into four types according to the number of testicular follicles and the portion of the deferent duct covered by the scrotal membrane.…”

Morphology of male reproductive system of two solitary bee species (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

“…In solitary bees, the sperm are produced at once and the testicles enter a degeneration process, which begins as soon as the bees become sexually mature -a fact also observed (Dallacqua & Cruz Landim 2003) and Scaptotrigona xanthotricha Moure (Araújo et al 2005), and in ants Sonelopsis invicta Buren (Ball & Vinson 1984). In these species, the spermatozoa leave the testicle in bundles and when they reach the seminal vesicles, these bundles become undone (Moreira et al 2004).…”

“…Research regarding the male reproductive system histology of Apidae was carried out only in social bee species such as Melipona quadrisfasciata (Dallacqua & Cruz-Landim 2003), Scaptotrigona xanthotricha (Araújo et al 2005) and Melipona mondury (Lima et al 2006). This study represents the fi rst histological description of the reproductive system of solitary bees, undertaken to understand the reproductive biology of this group as well as to supply traits that could be used in the systematics of Apoidea.…”