Ultrastructure of the Eggs Chorion of Ceraleptus obtusus (Brulle, 1839) (Heteroptera: Coreidae)

The eggs of Ceraleptus obtusus were studied with light and scanning electron microscope. The females were collected from the Sinekci mountain pass of Kas (Antalya, Turkey) and maintained under laboratory conditions. The oval shaped eggs averaged 1.35 mm in length and 0.74 mm in width. The eggs were dark brown and mat. The egg chorion surface showed a chorionic pattern resulting in irregular hexagonal patterns. There were 18-19 short pipe micropylar projections mounted at the anterior pole. The egg burster was a chitinous and sclerotized structure. Examination of a cross section of the chorion showed that it was composed of three layers. OHIO J SCI 105 (5):138–141, 2005 Manuscript received 8 June 2004 and in revised form 20 March 2005 (#04-16). INTRODUCTION The morphological characteristics of eggs, especially the surface of chorion, show distinct differentiation and ootaxanomic significance in various insect orders (Hinton 1981; Salkeld 1983; Margaritis 1985; Gaino and others 1987; Sahlen 1996; Candan 1997). Many authors have studied the surface structure of eggs of Heteroptera species including Coreidae; however, accurate knowledge of the egg morphology is still lacking in many taxonomic groups (Esselbaugh 1946; Puchkova 1955, 1957, 1959; Southwood 1956; Shuzhi 1985; Javahery 1994; Baker and Brown 1994; Suludere and others 1999; Wolf and Reid 2000, 2001; Danielczok and Kocorek 2003). The surface morphology and chorion of insect eggs has been intensively studied by scanning and transmission electron microscope. Generally, the insect egg shell consists of two major layers. There is a very prominent outer sheet, the chorion that may show an elaborate sculpturing on its outer face and carry diverse appendages. The usually much thinner vitelline membrane represents the innermost layer (Hinton 1981; Margaritis 1985). In Heteroptera, depending on the species, micropylar processes vary in number, shape, and size, and enable the gas exchange of the developing embryo. They allow for the passage of sperm through the eggshell prior to fertilization (Esselbaugh 1946; Southwood 1956; Cobben 1968; Javahery 1994). In addition, the role of the egg burster in hatching has been shown previously (Southwood 1956; Cobben 1968; Puchkova 1959, 1961; Hinton 1981). Hatching begins by peristaltic contraction of the body of the prolarva (Javahery 1994). For the first time, the egg structure of C. obtusus (Micropylar processes, egg burster, chorion surface, and chorion layers) has been examined in detail by scanning electron microscope, and results of the studies are presented in this paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS C. obtusus was collected from the Sinekci mountain pass of Kas (Antalya, Turkey, 18 June 2000). Fresh eggs . .