Department of Developmental Animal Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland.
Arthropod Struct Dev. 2009 Nov;38(6):509-19. doi: 10.1016/j.asd.2009.08.001. Epub 2009 Sep 15.
First generation egg clusters of Elasmucha grisea are more closely guarded than second generation clusters. The ovaries of this species are structured to enhance this behavior. The population of E. grisea from S-W Poland breeds in the spring (May-June) and late summer (July-August). The second generation clutches contain fewer eggs and are destroyed 3-4 days after oviposition by predators and parasitoids. The ovary structure in the studied species differs from that found in other Heteroptera. The average number of ovarioles per ovary is 24 while in the other investigated species the number of ovarioles per ovary is 6-7. Lateral oviducts are elongated and the ovarioles are arranged in a pennate pattern. Each ovariole contains only one growing ovarian follicle. Differentiation of the ovarioles and ovarian follicles is synchronised thus enabling simultaneous oviposition. A comparative analysis of the ovary structure during the life cycle, particularly the presence of atresive ovarian follicles in the ovarioles of egg- and nymph guarding females, as well as the shape and structure of the apical part of the tropharium all support the hypothesis of cooperation between females in E. grisea. A similar ovary structure has been observed in the Coccoidea (Hemiptera, Homoptera) which indicates presocial behavior.
第一代 Elasmucha grisea 的卵簇比第二代卵簇受到更严密的保护。该物种的卵巢结构增强了这种行为。来自波兰西南部的 E. grisea 种群在春季（5 月至 6 月）和夏末（7 月至 8 月）繁殖。第二代卵簇包含较少的卵，并在产卵后 3-4 天被捕食者和寄生蜂破坏。研究物种的卵巢结构与其他半翅目昆虫的结构不同。每个卵巢中的平均卵巢小管数为 24，而在其他研究的物种中，每个卵巢中的卵巢小管数为 6-7。侧输卵管伸长，卵巢小管呈羽纹状排列。每个卵巢小管仅含有一个生长的卵巢滤泡。卵巢小管和卵巢滤泡的分化是同步的，从而能够同时产卵。对卵巢结构在生命周期中的比较分析，特别是在卵和若虫保护的雌性的卵巢小管中存在退化的卵巢滤泡，以及营养体的顶端部分的形状和结构，都支持了 E. grisea 中雌性之间合作的假说。在鳞翅目（半翅目，同翅目）中观察到了类似的卵巢结构，这表明存在前社交行为。
