TY - JOUR
T1 - Translucent cuticle and setiferous patches in Megaspilidae (Hymenoptera, Ceraphronoidea)
AU - Trietsch, Carolyn
AU - Mikó, István
AU - Ulmer, Jonah M.
AU - Deans, Andrew R.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Missy Hazen for her expertise and assistance with CLSM, TEM and SBFSEM at the Penn State Microscopy and Cytometry Facility (University Park, PA), John Catolina for his expertise and assistance with SEM at the Penn State Microscopy and Cytometry Facility (University Park, PA), and Julie Anderson for her expertise and assistance with SEM at the Penn State Materials Research Institute (University Park, PA). This work was also performed in part at the Analytical Instrumentation Facility (AIF) at North Carolina State University, which is supported by the State of North Carolina and the National Science Foundation (award number ECCS-1542015). The AIF is a member of the North Carolina Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN), a site in the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). The authors would like to thank Lars Vilhelmsen for his expertise on Orussidae, Emily Sandall for her assistance with GBIF and Michael J. Sharkey for his gift of specimens. Special thanks to the Frost Entomological Museum (PSUC), the North Carolina State University Insect Museum (NCSU), the Wisconsin Insect Research Collection (WIRC), the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), and the C.A. Triplehorn Insect Collection at the Ohio State University (OSUC) for the loans of specimens. The authors would also like to thank Lars Vil-helmsen, Christian Wirkner, Lars Krogmann, and Matthew Yoder for their valuable input in improving the manuscript. This material is based upon work supported by the U. S. National Science Foundation, under Grant Numbers DBI-1356381 and DEB-1353252. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - All Ceraphronoidea have metasomal patches of translucent cuticle and setae that have never been investigated before, despite their potential behavioral and phylogenetic relevance. To understand the internal and external morphology of these structures, specimens were examined using a broad array of histology-based methods, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM). For the first time, the setiferous patches are shown to be associated with exocrine glands in Ceraphronoidea. The proposed glandular function is the secretion of pheromones, with the setae above the pore openings serving as a surface for evaporation. The translucent cuticle is morphologically distinct from the setiferous patches; structures resembling lamellar bodies were found underneath the translucent cuticle, and may be associated with photoreceptors or endocrine glands. The locations of translucent cuticle on the metasoma are unique to different families and genera within Ceraphronoidea, and could be useful for inferring phylogenetic relationships. The character distribution suggests that the genera Trassedia and Masner are more closely related to Ceraphronidae than Megaspilidae. We found similar structures containing translucent cuticle in Orussidae and Ichneumonoidea, indicating that these structures are potentially a rich character system for future phylogenetic analysis in Hymenoptera.
AB - All Ceraphronoidea have metasomal patches of translucent cuticle and setae that have never been investigated before, despite their potential behavioral and phylogenetic relevance. To understand the internal and external morphology of these structures, specimens were examined using a broad array of histology-based methods, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM). For the first time, the setiferous patches are shown to be associated with exocrine glands in Ceraphronoidea. The proposed glandular function is the secretion of pheromones, with the setae above the pore openings serving as a surface for evaporation. The translucent cuticle is morphologically distinct from the setiferous patches; structures resembling lamellar bodies were found underneath the translucent cuticle, and may be associated with photoreceptors or endocrine glands. The locations of translucent cuticle on the metasoma are unique to different families and genera within Ceraphronoidea, and could be useful for inferring phylogenetic relationships. The character distribution suggests that the genera Trassedia and Masner are more closely related to Ceraphronidae than Megaspilidae. We found similar structures containing translucent cuticle in Orussidae and Ichneumonoidea, indicating that these structures are potentially a rich character system for future phylogenetic analysis in Hymenoptera.
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U2 - 10.3897/jhr.60.13692
DO - 10.3897/jhr.60.13692
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85033432482
VL - 60
SP - 135
EP - 156
JO - Journal of Hymenoptera Research
JF - Journal of Hymenoptera Research
SN - 1070-9428
ER -