Morphology of spermatheca and eggs of Coptosoma putoni Montandon, 1898 (Hemiptera: Plataspidae)

Abstract

Spermatheca and eggs of Coptosoma putoni Montandon, 1898 were viewed with both light and scanning electron microscopes. The egg batch characteristically has two rows of spike-shaped eggs attached to substrate, with an anterior pole bearing aero-micropylar processes always turned outward. In an egg cluster there are 13-14 eggs that average 0.81 mm in length and 0:48 mm in width. Each side of the surface of the eggs is a slight falling away.The egg surface is covered with irregular chorionic protrusions as revealed by the scanning electron microscope. Micropyles (26-29) are arranged in a circle around the operculum. The spermatheca of C. putoni is characterized by a spherical spermathecal bulb, a pumping region, pump flanges, spermathecal duct and a genital chamber with associated sclerites.