The male genitalia segments in fritillary butterflies: Comparative morphology with special reference to the "rectal plate" in Issoria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Title:

The male genitalia segments in fritillary butterflies: Comparative morphology with special reference to the "rectal plate" in Issoria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Creator:

Simonsen, Thomas J.

Identifier:

https://cdk.lib.cas.cz/client/handle/uuid:d34c20f6-8d73-4cb6-a38f-0e8fd7c5bbfc
uuid:d34c20f6-8d73-4cb6-a38f-0e8fd7c5bbfc

Subject:

Issoria, male genitalia, musculature, rectal plate, comparative morphology, and phylogeny

Type:

article, model:article, and TEXT

Description:

The male genitalia of the fritillary butterfly Issoria lathonia (L.) were examined and reconstructed based on sagittal and horizontal sections. Nine intrinsic muscles were identified consistent with previous results. The retractor of the anal tube probably operates the "rectal plate", a large, sclerotised, arched plate present ventral to the rectum and dorsal to the phallus in all Issoria s. str. species. The function of the rectal plate is still largely unknown, but it has presumably an important function during copulation. The retractor of the phallus inserts on the phallus, and also on a small, ventral sclerite in the anellus. The retractor of the vesica is smaller in I. lathonia than its counterpart in other Argynnini and originates more centrally inside the phallus. The tergal sclerite, common in most Argynnini, has no attaching muscle and its evolutionary origin remains unclear. The presence of an intrinsic muscle (i3) originating on the tegumen and inserting on the valve in Argynnini cannot be confirmed here. Though generally absent in butterflies, this muscle has been reported once in the North American Argynnis subgenus Speyeria.

Language:

English

Rights:

http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
policy:public

Source:

European Journal of Entomology | 2006 Volume:103 | Number:2

Harvested from:

CDK

Metadata only:

false