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The skeleto-muscular anatomy of the genital segments of male eriocrania (insecta. lepidoptera)

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Summary

  1. 1.

    All Eriocraniidae other than the nearctic Acanthopteroctetes are considered to constitute a single genus, Eriocrania. 6 species of the genus are investigated, viz. subpurpurella, unimaculella, sparrmannella haworthi, sangii and semipurpurella.

  2. 2.

    Segment IX is for the greater part freely exposed behind the pregenital segments. Ventrally its frontal edge forms a pair of apophyses on which the phallic retractors originate.

  3. 3.

    The valves (gonopods) are much reduced, only in E. subpurpurella movable by muscles inserted on their bases.

  4. 4.

    A selerotized, median plate forms a ventral support for the phallos and separates more or less completely the genital cavity into a dorsal genital chamber and a ventral subgenital crypt. Based on its musculature this plate is considered to comprise elements homologous with parts of the “Zwischenstück” in Micropterix (Hannemann, 1957) and with “juxta” in Ditrysia.

  5. 5.

    The phallos has a dorsal and a ventral branch; the ejaculatory duct is located within the former, but both are introduced into the female during copulation. The phallic protractor originates caudally on IX, only in E. subpurpurella partly inside the valve.

  6. 6.

    Tergum X is bilobed. This probably represents an original and autapomorphous condition in Lepidoptera.

  7. 7.

    E. subpurpurella stands clearly apart from the other species examined, having retained more plesiomorphies and possessing some striking autapomorphies.

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Abbreviations

as:

anus

av:

valve

bp:

half-frame

ch:

genital chamber

cr:

subgenital crypt

lp:

lateral process at base of median plate (mesosome)

me:

median plate (=mesosome)

mp:

medial process

pb:

basal process of valve

ph:

phallos

phb:

basal part of phallos phd distal part of dorsal branch of phallos

phm:

medial part of dorsal branch of phallos

phv:

ventral branch of phallos

re:

rectum

ta:

tuba analis

tt:

tubulatum

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Comparative Anatomy, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

    J. Birket-Smith

  2. Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

    N. P. Kristensen

Authors
  1. J. Birket-Smith
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  2. N. P. Kristensen
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Birket-Smith, J., Kristensen, N.P. The skeleto-muscular anatomy of the genital segments of male eriocrania (insecta. lepidoptera). Z. Morph. Tiere 77, 157–174 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374214

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374214

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