Peculiarities of the organization of egg chambers in carabid ground beetles and their phylogenetic implications.
The ovaries of 31 species of the coleopteran familyCarabidae have been studied by light and electron microscopy. Ovarioles of all the examined insects are of the polytrophic type. In the majority of the species a constant number of nurse cells per egg chamber has been observed. However, several species do not obey the 2(n) rule and the number of nurse cells varies considerably even in the consecutive egg chambers of the same ovariole. In spite of the differences, the number of intercellular bridges connecting nurse cells to the oocyte is fixed and species specific. InCarabidae seven types of egg chambers have been characterized regarding the number of divisions, the number of nurse cells and the way the nurse cells are bridged to the oocyte. Some phylogenetic implications are considered.
Jaglarz
M
M
Institute of Zoology, Jagicllonian University, Karasia 6, 30-060 Krako w, Poland.