title: Comparative morphology of spermatozoa and reproductive systems of zorapteran species from different world regions (Insecta, Zoraptera).
abstract: The male and female reproductive apparatus of Zorotypus magnicaudelli (Malaysia), Zorotypus huxleyi (Ecuador) and Zorotypus weidneri (Brazil) were examined and documented in detail. The genital apparatus and sperm of the three species show only minor differences. The testes are larger in Z. magnicaudelli. Z. huxleyi lacks the helical appendage in the accessory glands. A long cuticular flagellum is present in Z. magnicaudelli and in the previously studied Zorotypus caudelli like in several other species, whereas it is absent in Z. weidneri, Z. huxleyi, Zorotypus hubbardi, Zorotypus impolitus and Zorotypus guineensis. Characteristic features of the very similar sperm are the presence of: a) two dense arches above the axoneme; b) a 9 + 9+2 axoneme with detached subtubules A and B of doublets 1 and 6; c) the axonemal end degenerating with enlarging accessory tubules; d) accessory tubules with 17 protofilaments; e) three accessory bodies beneath the axoneme; and f) two mitochondrial derivatives of equal shape. The first characteristic (a) is unknown outside of Zoraptera and possibly autapomorphic. The sperm structure differs distinctly in Z. impolitus and Z. hubbardi, which produce giant sperm and possess a huge spermatheca. The presence of the same sperm type in species either provided with a sclerotized coiled flagellum in males or lacking this structure indicates that a different organization of the genital apparatus does not necessarily affect the sperm structure. The flagellum and its pouch has probably evolved within Zoraptera, but it cannot be excluded that it is a groundplan feature and was reduced several times. The fossil evidence and our findings suggest that distinct modifications in the genital apparatus occurred before the fragmentation of the Gondwanan landmass in the middle Cretaceous.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via A. Moro 2, University of Siena, I-53100 Siena, Italy. Electronic address: romano.dallai@unisi.it.
authors.forename: Romano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dallai
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via A. Moro 2, University of Siena, I-53100 Siena, Italy. Electronic address: gottardo@unisi.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gottardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via A. Moro 2, University of Siena, I-53100 Siena, Italy. Electronic address: david.mercati@unisi.it.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mercati
authors.affiliation: Sugadaira Montane Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Nagano 386-2204, Japan. Electronic address: machida@sugadaira.tsukuba.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Ryuichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Machida
authors.affiliation: Sugadaira Montane Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Nagano 386-2204, Japan. Electronic address: mashimo@sugadaira.tsukuba.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yuta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mashimo
authors.affiliation: Entomology Group, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstr. 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany. Electronic address: yoko.matumura.hamupeni@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Caixa Postal 478, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil. Electronic address: jarafael@inpa.gov.br.
authors.forename: José Albertino
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rafael
authors.affiliation: Entomology Group, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstr. 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany. Electronic address: rolf.beutel@uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Rolf Georg
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Beutel
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology; D007313:Insecta / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D013020:South America; D013045:Species Specificity; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000648:ultrastructure
keywords: Insect anatomy; Insect ultrastructure; Polyneoptera; Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)