Morphology and development of the accessory glands in various female cricket species

The study presents new results with regard to the morphometric and ultrastructural development of the accessory glands in females of the three cricket species Gryllus bimaculatus, Gryllus assimilis, and Acheta domesticus. Furthermore, possible age-dependence of secretory productivity of single organs was analyzed by application of the ligature technique introduced in a previous contribution. Within the first 12 days of the adult phase, the accessory glands of all investigated cricket species exhibit a significant increase in length and width which assumes values between 50 and 100%. This gland growth is rather the result of a continuous increase in cellular volume and less that of mitotic cell propagation. In all species height and width of single gland cells increase by 60-80% within the studied time interval. These changes in morphometry are commonly accompanied by ultrastructural modifications. Total glandular secretion is subject to an increase from the 5th to the 12th day of adult age. This development corresponds well with the number of eggs contemporaneously oviposited into the substrate and thus underlines the hypothesis, according to which the main function of the secretion consists in acting as a lubricant for the facilitated transport of the oocytes through the ovipositor.