Spermiogenesis of the hangingfly Terrobittacus implicatus (Huang and Hua) (Mecoptera: Bittacidae)

The structure of spermatozoa is able to provide valuable characters in resolving phylogenic relationships in Metazoa, especially in insects. Such data, however, are greatly deficient in Mecoptera. Here, we studied the spermiogenesis and ultrastructure of sperm in the hangingfly Terrobittacus implicatus (Huang and Hua) using transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the spermatogenesis of T. implicatus occurs within sperm cysts, following a pattern commonly found in insects. The microtubular doublets of spermatid axoneme exhibit a hooklike projection from the B-subtubule in the early period, but the projection disappears in the mature stage. The mature spermatozoon of T. implicatus is a filiform cell that is pronouncedly elongated and has a bi-layered acrosome, a nucleus with two lateral longitudinal grooves, a neck region with the centriole adjunct, a flagellum with a simple 9 + 2 axoneme, two extra-axonemal accessory structures, two accessory bodies, and two mitochondrial derivatives of unequal size, and a prominent glycocalyx. The basic structure of spermatozoa of T. implicatus is similar to that of other Mecoptera studied. However, this species shows characteristics unique in Bittacidae, such as the reniform appearance of the centriole adjunct, two triangular accessory bodies with granular materials, and two asymmetric mitochondrial derivatives with a circular profile in cross-section. The potential utilization of the sperm ultrastructure for understanding the phylogeny of Bittacidae is briefly discussed.