Scanning electron microscopy of the dorsal vessel of Panstrongylus megistus (Burmeister, 1835) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).
In this study we analyzed the microanatomy of the dorsal vessel of the triatomine Panstrongylus megistus. The organ is a tubule anatomically divided into an anterior aorta and a posterior heart, connected to the body wall through 8 pairs of alary muscles. The heart is divided in 3 chambers by means of 2 pairs of cardiac valves. A pair of ostia can be observed in the lateral wall of each chamber. A bundle of nerve fibers was found outside the organ, running dorsally along its major axis. A group of longitudinal muscular fibers was found in the ventral portion of the vessel. The vessel was found to be lined both internally and externally by pericardial cells covered by a thin laminar membrane. Inside the vessel the pericardial cells were disposed in layers and on the outside they formed clusters or rows.
Nogueira
N F
NF
Departamento de Parasitologia e Biofísica Celular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Brasil.
de Souza
W
W
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010203:Panstrongylus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000648:ultrastructure