See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/262001530

Comparative morphology of male genitalia in Archaeognatha

Conference Paper · September 2013

CITATIONS READS

0 332

2 authors:

Natalia A. Matushkina Klaus-Dieter Klass

National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv Senckenberg Research Institute
46 PUBLICATIONS   421 CITATIONS    97 PUBLICATIONS   2,386 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Genitalic region in Archaeognatha, Zygentoma and Odonata: comparative morphology, functional reconstructions, phylogenetic value, and evolution View project

Odonata of Ukraine: A Field Guide View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Natalia A. Matushkina on 02 May 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Comparative morphology of male genitalia in
ARCHAEOGNATHA
by

Natalia A. Matushkina1 and Klaus-Dieter Klass2

1 Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, UKRAINE; 2 Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, GERMANY

In the Insecta (= Ectognatha) the male genitalia, which are almost consistently placed on abdominal segment 9, are among the structurally most
diverse body regions and are generally used in phylogenetic and taxonomic studies. Since Archaeognatha is considered to be the sister group of
the remaining Insecta, it plays a crucial role in the elucidation of the relationships between the main insect lineages. The ventral exoskeleton of
abdominal segments 7–9, which includes the male genitalic region, is described for five archaeognathan species. Reconstructions are based on
stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Insect-level homology hypotheses and terminologies for elements of the insect genitalia that
were developed in recent years are applied to the male of Archaeognatha for the first time. This allows to use genitalic characters as a source of
information for subsequent reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships among insect lineages. Some particularly noteworthy results are
illustrated below.

Sclerite composition of abdominal segments 7−9 is similar between sexes

Petrobiellus takunagae, female Petrobiellus takunagae, male
(modified from Klass & Matushkina, 2012)

7th segment

8th segment

9th segment X

External view Internal view

sternal sclerites laterocoxal sclerites stylus sclerotisation weak sclerotisations penis External view Internal view

post-sternite coxal sclerites gonapophyseal (♀) / parameral (♂) / coxal vesicle (♀&♂) sclerotisation X genital opening

Venter of male abdominal segments 7−9 (including genitalic region)

MACHILIDAE MEINERTELLIDAE

MACHILINAE PETROBIINAE PETROBIELLINAE

Lepismachilis notata Machilis hrabei Pedetontus unimaculatus Petrobiellus takunagae Machilinus sp.

7th segment
pre-genital segment,
does not participate in
reproduction

8th segment
first genital segment,
bears first parameres (in
ca. half of Machilidae
genera), which can
participate in producing
carrier thread

9th segment
(left coxal lobe not shown)
?
second genital segment, bears penis
and second parameres in ca. half of
Machilidae genera (and probably in all
Meinertellidae – see (?) in Machilinus
for tentative interpretation of
parameres). Penis used to deposit
sperm droplets on carrier thread or on
substrate. Reduction of penis
and parameres.
Hypertrophy and
Male lays
modification of
!!! Note basal transverse fusion of penis. Male probably
spermatophore
parameral sclerites and fusions in coxal directly on
grasps female with
substrate without
and laterocoxal sclerotisations in his ‘clasping’
producing a carrier
Petrobiellus and Machilinus (empty postabdomen during
thread (Sturm &
arrows), probably correlated with mating (Sturm &
Machida 2001)
derived mating behaviour pattern Male genitalia are involved in producing carrier thread and in deposition of sperm droplets on it Machida 2001)

Acknowledgments: Ryuichiro Machida, Markus Koch, Francesco Frati, Nikolaus U. Szucsich, and Alex Gumovsky for donation of specimens; Luis Mendes kindly
identified some species used in this study. This study was partly supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG, KL 1162/5-1).

References: Sturm H., Machida R., 2001. Archaeognatha (Handbook of Zoology). – Klass K.-D., Matushkina N.A., 2012. The exoskeleton of the female genitalic region in
Petrobiellus takunagae (Insecta: Archaeognatha): Insect-wide terminology, homologies, and functional interpretations. Arthropod Structure & Development 41(6).

View publication stats