Heteropteran ovaries: variations on the theme.

Ovaries of heteropterans consist of telotrophic meroistic ovarioles that are composed of apically located tropharium and basal vitellarium, containing developing oocytes. The tropharium (trophic chamber) houses trophocytes (nurse cells) that are connected with the centrally located trophic core. The organization of the heteropteran tropharia is highly variable and differs in representatives of primitive versus advanced families. The differences concern the mitotic activity of the apical nurse cells, organization of the trophocytes (individual cells or "syncytial lobes"), their connection with the trophic core and the development of F-actin meshwork around the trophic core. In members of primitive taxa of the Heteroptera, tropharia are composed of individual, usually mononucleate trophocytes. On the contrary, tropharia in advanced heteropterans are built of large "cytoplasmic lobes" that contain several trophocyte nuclei. Mitotic divisions of the trophocytes in the apical part of the trophic chamber are observed in most bugs (except Dipsocoridae, Miridae and Cimicidae). Tropharia of Miridae represent an entirely different organization (they are built of one type of highly polyploid trophocytes). Anagenesis of heteropteran trophic chamber is discussed in the context of presented data.

The ovaries of Mecoptera: basic similarities and one exception to the rule.

Two entirely different types of ovaries (ovarioles) have been described in mecopterans. In the representatives of Meropeidae, Bittacidae, Panorpodidae and Panorpidae the ovarioles are of the polytrophic-meroistic type. Four regions: a terminal filament, germarium, vitellarium and ovariole stalk can be distinguished in the ovarioles. The germaria house numerous germ cell clusters. Each cluster arises as a result of 2 consecutive mitoses of a cystoblast and consists of 4 sibling cells. The oocyte always differentiates from one of the central cells of the cluster, whereas the remaining 3 cells develop into large, polyploid nurse cells. The vitellaria contain 7-12 growing egg chambers (= oocyte-nurse cell complexes). In contrast, the ovaries of the snow flea, Boreus hyemalis, are devoid of nurse cells and therefore panoistic (secondary panoistic). The ovarioles are composed of terminal filaments, vitellaria and ovariole stalks only; in adult females functional germaria are absent. Histochemical tests suggest that amplification of rDNA takes place in the oocyte nuclei. Resulting dense nucleolar masses undergo fragmentation into multiple polymorphic nucleoli. The classification of extant mecopterans as well as the phylogenetic relationships between Mecoptera and Siphonaptera are discussed in the context of presented data.

Cyto- and histochemical studies of the ovariole of Panorpa communis (Insecta, Mecoptera).

The polytrophic ovarioles of Panorpa communis are differentiated into a terminal filament, germarium and vitellarium. The germarium contains cystoblasts and germ cell clusters at early stages of their differentiation. At the base of germarium the cystocytes become morphologically diversified. One of the central cells of the cluster becomes the oocyte while the remaining cystocytes differentiate into nurse cells. The presence of intercellular bridges between the oocyte and the nurse cells and those connecting the nurse cells was revealed by rhodamine-phalloidin staining of F-actin. The derivatives of one cystoblast - three nurse cells and oocyte are enveloped by follicular epithelium, thus forming the egg chamber. The follicular epithelium is morphologically diversified.