DISTINGUISHING THE TWO FORMS OF EGYPTIAN AEDES (OCHLEROTATUS) CASPIUS PALIAS SPECIES (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) BY ULTRA STRUCTURE MICROGRAPHS OF EGGS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Zoology, Suez University, Suez, Egypt.

2 Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, USA.

Abstract

Ultrastructure of the two forms autogenous and anautogenous eggs of Aedes (Ochlerotatus ) caspius of Egypt are described using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The eggs of the two forms are slightly boat shape with quite difference in width. Chorionic cells of the ventral surface are ultimately different in both forms in shape, width of reticulum , number and size of tubercles. The chorionic cells of the autogenous form's egg are elongate, narrow and almost curved with unusually wide, outer reticulum contain 2 - 13 large tubercles along with a few number in small size. However, the anautogenous form's egg , the chorionic cells of the ventral surface fairly distinct, very regular in outline with thin reticulum and usually hexagonal, each cell contain one or two large tubercles with many small scattered peripheral tubercles. Fine structure micrographic work of eggs of the Egyptian Ae. caspius provides new morphological evidence that both autogenous and unautogenous forms are certainly different and suggests that those forms are two distinct species.

Keywords