BIOL 286

LAB 4
METAMORPHOSIS AND INTERNAL
ANATOMY
 LAB OUTLINE
I. INSECT METAMORPHOSIS
1. Ametabolous Development
2. Hemimetabolous Development
3. Holometabolous Developement

II. INSECT INTERNAL BODY STRUCTURES

spiracles – compound eyes – Malpighian tubules
Digestive tube – reproductive organs – nervous system
I. INSECT METAMORPHOSIS
 1. AMETOBALOUS DEVELOPMENT

No metamorphosis
Nymphs and adults are similar in shape; only
exception is size.
Ex. springtails (Order Collembola) and silverfish
(Order Thysanura).
Check below the development of bristletails like silverfish.
Every time the silverfish grows, it molts and sheds its old exoskeleton with no change in form.
This process continues throughout the silverfish’s life.
Silverfish:
Ametabolous Development
 2. SIMPLE METAMORPHOSIS

HEMIMETABOLOUS or PAUROMETABOLOUS DEVELOPMENT

• There is gradual metamorphosis.
• Nymphs and adults have same shape and similar
mouthparts.
• On nymphs: wings gradually develop as external
wing buds.
• Adults have fully developed wings.
• Examples: grasshoppers, cockroaches, assassin
bugs, aphids…
 GRASSHOPPERS:
simple metamorphosis
Check external wing bud on nymph
Bugs
 3. COMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS

• HOLOMETABOLOUS DEVELOPMENT
• The immature called larvae differ drastically
from the adults.
• The larvae may have different mouthparts than
adults; may be legged or legless.
• The wing develops internally.
• There is an intermediate stage, the pupa.
• Examples: beetles, butterflies, moths, flies,
bees, ants…
Complete metamorphosis
Beetle complete
metamorphosis
FLY COMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS
Note: pupae called puparium (as last larval stage doesn’t shed its integument; instead it hardens
forming a puparium)
II. INSECT INTERNAL ANATOMY:
INTERNAL BODY STRUCTURES
 SPIRACLES
• They are pores found along the body
wall.
• They are opening of the tracheal
system that let O2 gets in and CO2 gets
out.

• The maximum number of spiracles:

2 pairs on thorax
8 pairs on abdomen
Spiracles
 COMPOUND EYES
• Each compound eye is composed of many
units or facets called ommatidia.
• (Each ommatidium is composed of a lens, a
cone, and a photosensitive region).
Cross section of a compound eyes showing
ommatidia
Compound eye: cross section

Optic nerve
Review of Digestive Tube
Check the digestive tube
 MALPIGHIAN TUBULES
• They function in excretion and osmoregulation.
• They are long, blind-end tubules that arise at
the junction of the midgut and hindgut
• They lie free floating in the hemolymph.
• They empty into the hindgut .
• (range in number: few- >200/ insect spp.)
Malpighian Tubules
MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
CROSS SECTION OF TESTIS (GONAD) SHOWING SPERM TUBES OF FOLLICLES IN WHICH SPERMATOGENESIS PROCEEDS

FOLLICLE
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
Section showing oocytes at different stages of development in
the ovariole (egg tube); and nurse cells (which fill the oocyte
with yolk/nutrients)
NERVOUS SYSTEM:
Check the brain and the longitudinal
ventral nerve cord
Let’s test our knowledge
What type of metamorphosis?
What is the structure below?
What is the structure shown by the
pointer?
END