title: Morphology of spermatozoa of Dissomphalus connubialis (Ashmead, 1893) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae).
abstract: In this study, the morphology of spermatozoa of Bethylidae Dissomphalus connubialis (Pristocerinae) was analyzed using light and transmission electron microscopy. Spermatozoa of this species are thin, measure approximately 130 μm in length and comprise a head region and flagellum region. The head is formed by the acrosome and nucleus. The acrosome consists of the acrosome vesicle and the perforatorium, the posterior portion of which is inserted into a cavity at the anterior extremity of the nucleus. The nucleus is compact, electron-dense and measures 15 μm in length. The flagellum possesses two mitochondrial derivatives, two accessory bodies and one axoneme with a 9+9+2 microtubular pattern. The nucleus is connected to the flagellum by the centriole adjunct. Mitochondrial derivatives are compact, apparently without paracrystalline material and with rare mitochondrial cristae. They are asymmetric in length, such that the larger mitochondrial derivative begins parallel to the posterior region of the nucleus and the smaller mitochondrial derivative begins just below the centriole adjunct. The basic structure of spermatozoa of D. connubialis is similar to that of other Aculeata studied. However, this species shows characteristics not seen in other Hymenoptera, such as the wide electron-lucid region that separates the acrosomal vesicle from the perforatorium and the depth of the cavity in the anterior extremity of the nucleus, into which the base of the perforatorium is inserted. There are also characteristics that distinguish this species from Bethylidae Prorops nasuta, including the fact that one of the mitochondrial derivatives lies to parallel to the nucleus over a long distance, the small quantity of cristae, the absence of paracrystalline material in these organelles, and the fact that the accessory microtubules are the first to terminate in the final portion of the flagellum.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa-UFV, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia Miranda
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Felipe Bertholdi
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Fraga
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dolder
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lino-Neto
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013082:Sperm Tail / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000648:ultrastructure*