Abstract
The ultrastructure of Mantophasma zephyra spermatozoa is described. Sperm cells have a trilayered acrosome with conspicuous extra-acrosomal material which expands along the nucleus. The nucleus is crossed anteriorly by a canal and its posterior end is embedded in the centriole adjunct material. A centriole with microtubular triplets is present. The flagellum has a 9+9+2 axonemal pattern, two partially crystallised mitochondrial derivatives, two membranous sacs and three connecting bands. The accessory microtubules are filled with dense material and have 16 protofilaments in their tubular wall. The intertubular material is not very expanded. In the seminal vesicles spermatozoa are stuck together to form spermatodesms, and their heads are also joined by adherens junctions. A cladistic analysis based on sperm features indicates a close relationship of Mantophasmatodea with Mantodea.
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Acknowledgements
Dipl.-Biol. Oliver Zompro, MPI for Limnology at Ploen (Germany), and Dr. Eugène Marais, National Museum at Windhoek (Namibia), are thanked for providing the living specimen of M. zephyra. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on the manuscript. The technical assistance of Dr. Eugenio Paccagnini and Dr. David Mercati was greatly appreciated. This work was supported by a grant from the University of Siena (P.A.R.) to R.D.
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Dallai, R., Frati, F., Lupetti, P. et al. Sperm ultrastructure of Mantophasma zephyra (Insecta, Mantophasmatodea). Zoomorphology 122, 67–76 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-002-0070-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-002-0070-z