Graduate Program in Entomology, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, CEP: 36570-000, Brazil.
Micron. 2010 Jun;41(4):306-11. doi: 10.1016/j.micron.2009.12.001. Epub 2009 Dec 16.
The Hemiptera order is currently divided into four suborders. Among them the Auchenorrhyncha suborder is considered to be paraphyletic. Morphology of insect spermatozoa has provided promising characteristics that can be used for phylogenetic inference. In this study, Aethalion reticulatum (Aethalionidae) spermatozoa were examined by light and electron microscopy. The head of the spermatozoa is composed of an acrosome and a nucleus. The nucleus is linear and filled with compact chromatin but has electron-lucid spaces. The centriole adjunct initiates parallel to the nucleus and terminates in the region anterior to the mitochondrial derivatives. Flagella consist of an axoneme, two mitochondrial derivatives and two accessory bodies and the axoneme has the typical 9+9+2 microtubule pattern. The mitochondrial derivatives are symmetric. The accessory bodies are long and are shaped like a half moon when viewed from a cross-section. The presence of accessory bodies differs from other species of Cicadomorpha previously studied. Spermatozoa morphology of other Auchenorrhyncha families can reveal synapomorphies and contribute to systematics of the suborder.
半翅目目目前分为四个亚目。其中，蝉亚目被认为是并系群。昆虫精子的形态为系统发育推断提供了有前途的特征。本研究通过光镜和电镜检查了 Aethalion reticulatum（蝉科）的精子。精子头部由顶体和核组成。核呈线性，充满致密染色质，但具有电子透明空间。中心粒附属物与核平行起始，并在衍生线粒体的前区域终止。鞭毛由轴丝、两个衍生线粒体和两个附属体组成，轴丝具有典型的 9+9+2 微管模式。衍生线粒体是对称的。附属体很长，从横切面看形状像半月形。附属体的存在与以前研究过的其他蝉形目物种不同。其他蝉亚目科的精子形态可以揭示同源特征，并有助于亚目的系统发育。
