Ovaries and phylogeny of dermapterans once more: Ovarian characters support paraphyly of Spongiphoridae

The Dermaptera is an insect order with ca. 2200 described species classified in 11 families. Interestingly, recent morphological and molecular data suggest that at least three dermapteran families (Diplatyidae, Pygidicranidae and Spongiphoridae) are paraphyletic. Here we present results of histological analyses of ovaries and ovarioles in two representatives of Spongiphoridae: Chaetospania borneensis and Irdex chapmani. We show that both the ovaries and ovarioles of studied species are morphologically disparate. The ovaries of C. borneensis consist of shortened ovarioles attached to elongated lateral oviducts and are apparently similar to the ovaries of the Eudermaptera. In contrast, I. chapmani share all the important ovarian characters with more basal taxa, i.e. Anisolabididae and Labiduridae. These findings lend additional support to the paraphyly of Spongiphoridae.     

Bacteria in ovarioles of females from maleless families of ladybird beetles Adalia bipunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) naturally infected with Rickettsia,Wolbachia, and Spiroplasma

Ovarioles were found to be infected with Spiroplasma, Wolbachia, and Rickettsia in Adalia bipunctata females with maleless progeny in different natural populations. Ooplasm was infected with few Wolbachia bacteria. In ooplasm infected by Rickettsia, bacteria were present in small foci. Spiroplasmas were found encapsulated into ooplasm from the wider intercellular spaces between epithelial and oocyte cells. The cytoplasm of follicular epithelia infected with Rickettsia was heavily destroyed, but the nucleus was intact and free from bacteria. The essential feature of follicular epithelium cells from Spiroplasma and Wolbachia infected A. bipunctata females was inclusions of three types: crystalline, filaments, and concentric myelin-like lamellae. Observations of smears prepared from ovaries of A. bipunctata from natural populations revealed a low concentration of bacteria within a microscopy field (less 10 bacteria) in more than 90% of specimens, and only a few ovaries were heavily infected. Two different ways of bacterial invasion of the oocyte are suggested: Spiroplasma-like, through the intercellular spaces in the epithelium and Rickettsia-like, through the cytoplasm of follicular epithelium cells. Bacteria were not found in germarium zones and we suggest that each follicle is infected from haemolymph.