The eighth and ninth segments of the female adult have structures for laying eggs, called ovipositors. The ovipositor is generally tubular and consists of the first ovipositing valve located on the eighth abdominal segment and the second and third ovipositing valves located on the ninth abdominal segment. The third ovipositing valve is the back of the ovipositor ( Dorsal egg-laying valve), the first egg-laying valve is ventral (ventral egg-laying valve), and the second egg-laying valve is in the middle (endo-ovulation valve).
The ovipositors of insects have various shapes. The ovipositor of crickets is spear-shaped; the ovipositor of katydids is like a large knife; the ovipositor of sawflies is like a toothed saw; the ovipositor of some bees is like a saw. The egg apparatus is a slender pincer, some of which is short. It is specialized into a pincer that can inject venom. It is usually hidden in the body. When catching prey, it extends the pincer host or to defend against enemies. The eggs are laid from the base of the pincer. Such as wasps, bees, etc.; the ovipositor of the wasp is usually very long, even several times longer than the body length, and can easily lay eggs on the surface or body of the host. Not all insects have ovipositors, such as beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, etc. The eggs are laid at the end of the abdomen. The segments at the end of their abdomen gradually become slender and overlap each other, and they can stretch when laying eggs. They are very long and lay their eggs in crevices, surfaces or depressions. This structure is called a pseudoovipositor. Some lower species in the subclass Pterozoa, such as mayflies, do not have specialized ovipositors. Eggs are produced through a pair of ovipositing holes formed by two lateral oviducts on the membrane behind the seventh abdominal plate. . The shape, structure and presence of ovipositors can help us understand the methods and habits of insects laying eggs. For example, locusts with cone-shaped ovipositors and crickets with spear-shaped ovipositors lay eggs in the soil and have no special characteristics. Insects with modified ovipositors can only lay eggs on surfaces or shallow crevices. Cicadas, leafhoppers, etc. have needle-shaped ovipositors. Like sawflies and hornets with saw-like ovipositors, they always lay their eggs in plant tissues, while parasitic wasps often use exposed needle-shaped ovipositors. The egg organ is used to lay eggs in or on the body of the host.
The external genitalia of male insects is called the copulatory organ, which is a structure used for mating. The copulator mainly consists of two parts: the penis and the holder. The penis delivers sperm into the female's body, and the clasp is responsible for holding the female's body in a suitable position during mating. The penis is generally a cone-shaped or tube structure, including the base of the penis and the penis, with the end of the penis being the opening of the ejaculatory duct. During mating, under the pressure of muscle activity and blood, the penis extends out of the body until it is deeply inserted into the female's mating sac and the sperm is transferred into the mating sac. The grippers are mostly derived from the appendages of the ninth abdominal segment, and their shapes vary greatly. Both the penis and the gripper show different changes in different taxa. For example, insects of the order Orthoptera, Blattida, and Mantids have only the penis and its derivative structures as their male external genitalia, without a gripper, while the insects of the order Homoptera except In addition to a well-developed penis, there are also auxiliary mating devices, including a gripper. The morphology of the external genitalia of different species of insects varies greatly to achieve interspecific isolation and ensure that only individuals of the same species can mate. Therefore, the structure of male external genitalia is very important in insect classification, especially in the identification of closely related species, which are almost indistinguishable without male external genitalia.
animal tags： genitals insect copulator ovipositor reproduction
you may also like
Both adults and larvae of this species damage the fruits of pear trees, causing the affected parts to become depressed. In severe cases, it will cause a large number of fruit drops and fruit rot. Pears look like tigers eating pears, hence the name. The adult body is 12-14...
Larvae are the stage when insects feed in large quantities. Due to the different sources of their food, their external shapes also vary widely. Some are cute, some are disgusting, and some are terrifying. Here are some common types. multi-legged larvae...
The life of some animals lasts for decades, while the life of insects often only lasts for a short time. The ontogenetic history of an individual (whether it is an egg or a larva) from the time it leaves its mother to the time it reaches sexual maturity and produces offspring is called a gene...
Lepidopteran insects are commonly known as butterflies and moths. Their main feature is that their wings are covered with colorful scales, so they are known as "flying flowers" and "dancers of nature". Lepidoptera have many of the most beautiful colors found in the living world on their wings...
The Papilion butterfly has a large body, with a wingspan of 170mm. The female butterfly is dark in color with a black velvet luster, making it look solemn, steady and noble. The hind wings of both male and female butterflies are golden yellow with black spots. When the sun shines, the golden...
[Economic significance] The adults of Trichoptera are called caddisflies, and the larvae are called caddis flies. Caddisfly larvae live in lakes and streams, preferring colder and non-polluted waters. Their ecological adaptability is relatively weak, and they are a better indicator insect for...
The body of the flea is brown, and its small and flat body looks so ugly. It seems to be a natural thing that fleas will jump. An ordinary flea can jump up to 20-30 centimeters, which is 200 times its body length, which is equivalent to a human jumping about 360 meters. Although it is not the...
Fireflies like to live in humid, watery, and weedy places, especially along the banks of streams and rivers. There was an old saying in my country called "Corrugated grass grows fireflies," which reflects this habit. The adults do not feed, but only suck a little dew. The female emerges more...
Email: jsset#163.com (change # to @) Please indicate your purpose of visit! Guangdong ICP No. 2022053326 XML| map| Chinese
