Biology Department, Redeemer University College, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada L9K 1J4.
Arthropod Struct Dev. 2010 Jul;39(4):261-7. doi: 10.1016/j.asd.2010.02.004.
The anatomy of the female reproductive tract and the nerve-evoked contractions of the vagina muscles and their association with the ovipositor in the western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis (Heidemann) are investigated for the first time. The reproductive tract consists of a set of paired telotrophic ovaries, each containing seven ovarioles, located in the anterior lateral regions of the abdomen. Each ovary is attached to a lateral oviduct which spans most of the abdomen to attach to a relatively short common oviduct that joins the vagina near the rear of the animal. The vagina is associated with a pair of bilaterally symmetrical muscles attached at their posterior ends to lateral extensions of sternite VIII, the valvifer of the Type II ovipositor. From this attachment site, the muscles fan out medially and anteriorly to converge along the dorsal midline of the vagina up to the base of the common oviduct. Vagina muscles respond to a single stimulation of their motor nerves by producing a smooth contraction lasting approximately 1 s. With increasing frequencies of stimulation, the muscle contractions summate to create a tetanic response. The muscles are fatigue resistant being able to maintain the same degree of tension for up to 10 min at 10 Hz stimulation. Visual observation shows that other muscles associated with the valves of the ovipositor behave in a similar fashion to that of the vagina muscles from which the tension recordings were obtained. Fatigue-resistant vagina muscles are discussed in relation to copulation, sperm transport and this insect's ability to deposit a series of eggs directly onto the surface of a conifer needle in a manner by which eight or more blunt-ended eggs are packed end-to-end in a single row.
首次对西方柏木象鼻虫（Leptoglossus occidentalis (Heidemann)）雌性生殖道的解剖结构以及阴道肌肉的神经诱发收缩与其产卵器的关系进行了研究。生殖道由一组成对的远源卵巢组成，每个卵巢包含七个卵巢管，位于腹部的前外侧区域。每个卵巢都附着在一个侧输卵管上，该输卵管跨越腹部的大部分区域，连接到一个相对较短的共同输卵管，该输卵管在动物的后部附近与阴道相连。阴道与一对双侧对称的肌肉相连，这些肌肉的后端附着在第八腹板的侧扩展部分上，即 II 型产卵器的瓣状突。从这个附着点开始，肌肉向中线内侧和前方扇形展开，在阴道的背中线处汇聚，直到共同输卵管的基部。阴道肌肉对其运动神经的单次刺激产生持续约 1 秒的平滑收缩。随着刺激频率的增加，肌肉收缩会累积形成强直性反应。这些肌肉具有抗疲劳性，能够在 10 Hz 刺激下保持 10 分钟相同的张力。视觉观察表明，与产卵器的阀相关联的其他肌肉的行为与获得张力记录的阴道肌肉相似。耐疲劳的阴道肌肉与交配、精子运输以及这种昆虫能够以一种方式将一系列卵直接沉积在针叶的表面有关，其中八个或更多钝端的卵一个接一个地排列成一排。
