Dettagli strutturali dei chemiorecettori antennali in Carpophilus hemipterus (L.) e C.humeralis (F.) (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae)

Abstract

FINE STRUCTURE OF THE ANTENNAL CHEMOSENSILLA IN CARPOPHILUS HEMIPTERUS (L.) AND C. HUMERALIS  (F.) (COLEOPTERA, NITIDULIDAE)

As other species of Nitidulidae, adults of both sexes of Carpophilus humeralis (F.) and C. hemipterus (L.) exhibit two particular receptors in each antenna, respectively in the 10th and 11th segments.

Study by light-microscope, TEM and SEM gives data as follows:
i) Presence and shape of both receptors do not exhibit sex dimorphism.
ii) The receptor of the 11th segment is flask-like and opens through a very small pare (nearly

10 flm in diameter) on that segment face which is oriented downwards when the insect walks; it bears a number of transversal crests along its internal walls.

iii) The receptor of the 10th segment is a largely opened pit of the intersegmental face; it is deeper, partly vesicle-like, in C. humeralis.

iv) Both receptors include a few basiconic sensilla of the type MPG-conoid , sensu Zacharuk (1980) .

v) No inlet of glandular cells was found in them.

Observations show a trend to both confining of the elementary sensilla and redundance of receptors, which are difficult to relate to any function, due to the lack of behavioral knowledge.

Si esegue uno studio strutturale ed ultrastrutturale di particolari recettori antennali presenti in due specie del genere Carpophilus.

Al di là delle differenze strutturali, si individua uniformità riguardo al tipo di sensilli elementari in essi contenuti, i quali sono di tipo basiconico conoide multiporoso, con pareti irregolarmente solcate nel senso della lunghezza.