Morphology of Female Genital Organs of Three Spider Species from Genus Neoscona (Araneae- Araneidae) Sonali P
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IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online) 0orphology of female genital organs of three spider species from genus Neoscona (Araneae- Araneidae) Sonali P. Chapke, (hagat Vi-ay8. ( and Ra-a. I. A. Shri Shiva i college of Art Comme rce and Science, Akola IShri Shiva i Colle ge, Akot. sc7..1/gmail.com Abstract The morphology of the female genitalia is assumed to play a crucial role in shaping the sperm priority patte rns in spiders that probably are reflected in the mating behavior of a given species. Be e1amined the morphology of virgin femalesK genitalia by means of light microscopy of cleared specimens. The female epigynal plate, of three species of genus Neoscona - Neoscona theisi, Neoscona sinhagadensis and Neoscona rumpfi 0ere dissected out, and internal ginataila are e1posed and described. In all three species the internal genitalia, consist of a pair of spermatheca provided 0ith fertiliCation duct, and copulatory duct. Species specific variations are reported, in the epigyne and internal genitalia. The epigynal plate in N.theisi, and N.rumpfi have a length of aboutn0.2 mm 0hile ventral length in N. sinhagadensis was 0.75mm.Though the scape is found all the three species but its siCe and shape varies. Key words5 Neoscona, genital morphology, epigynum, cape, spermatheca Introduction2 dark. 8nce complete the host 0ill position herself The female genital structure, or e pigynum, is a head do0n at the hub (ce ntre) of the 0eb 0aiting harde ned plate on the unde rside of the abdomen for prey to fly into the 0eb. Insects are attracted in a female spide r. It is close ly associated 0ith the to the 0indo0 light and it is (uite remarkable ho0 gonopore. It is typically very dark and heavily the spide r kne0 to se lect such an unnatural but sclerotiCed, ho0ever, and thus seem unlikely to use ful site. At the first sign of sunrise, or be fooled be bent by the forces applied by male palps during at the rise of a full moon, the spide r 0ill remove mating. ,pigyne also have a more or le ss distinct its 0eb only leaving the bridge line and a fe0 pro ectile sclerites from the base of the epigyne supporting threads for construction ne1t evening. called scape, others are either plate like or 0ith a There are 116 accepted species of genus median septum instead of scape . Euring mating Neoscona though out the 0orld, (Borld spider sperm are transferred into the epigynum, 0hich catalog, 2017). Tikader and BAL (12.1) reported then move into receptacles (spermatheca) that 16 species of Neoscona from India. connect to the oviducts. ,ggs are fertiliCed as they The gene raliCed morphology of female genitalia or pass through the oviducts and out through the epigyne in genus Neoscona revealed it as a gonopore.In the plesiomorphic “haplogyneA simple tongue like plate. The scape is present but condition, spe rm are introduced through the completely fused to the base and provided 0ith same opening that is used for oviposition .The one or t0o pairs of lateral lobes. The epigynal spermathecae of haplogyne spiders have only a openings situated underneath of Scape. As single duct, through 0hich sperm both enter and epigyne is the most specific characters, it is e1it the spe rmathecae (Austad, 12.4). In the authentically kno0n that the differences in the de rived, e ntelegyne condition, a copulatory duct structure of both e1ternal and internal are the 0hich connects each spermatheca 0ith the best 0ay for distinguishing one species of female outside is used to introduce sperm into the spide r from othe r. In the present paper 0e spermatheca, and a separate “fertiliCationA duct, described the morphology of epigyne in three running from the spe rmatheca to the uterus, is species of genus Neoscona - Neoscona theisi, used to transfer sperm to the eggs (Codington and Neoscona sinhagadensis and Neoscona rumpfi, Le vi, 1221). Bhile male spide r genitalia are collected from Akola district of Maharashtra, universally paired, the female genitalia vary. A fe 0 India. Such Studies on the genital morphology of Mesothelae have a single spermatheca, and in spide rs he lp in be tter understanding of many some other “primitiveA species the female has a issues in evolutionary biology, such as se1ual pair of receptacles but the male can fill both 0ith selection (Dhl 20009 ,berhard 20049 Be rendonck a single palp (Haupt, 20039 Costa et al., 2000). and Hreven 2005 ) The genus Neoscona of spiders is similar to 0aterials and 0ethods Caerostris be ing nocturnal and cryptically Iemales of, Neoscona theisi, Neoscona colored. It is also referred to as the hairy field sinhagadensis and Neoscona rumpfi, spiders 0e re spider or orb-0eb spider and has a globose ly collected in and around Akola district during (round) abdomen 0hich ove rhangs the carapace. September 2011 to Ganuary 2012. All specimens The orb-0eb is constructed at night, shortly after 0ere alive and 0ere moved to the laboratory. The SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 266 ICRTS-2017 IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online) specimens 0ere identified by using a Carl-Neiss constriction at the middle. 8ne pair of conspicuous Stereo-Noom microscope. The identification 0as lateral lobes appeared horn like . The spe rmatheca confirmed 0ith the help of available keys and 0ith its both copulatory and fertiliCation duct using picture key of Tikade r and Bal (12.1). The appeared very prominent. female genitalia 0e re dissected out by giving a cut References2 in the ge nital region on the ventral side of the Austad, S.N. (12.4). ,volution of spe rm priority abdomen. ,pigyne 0as then cleared in 10% %8H patterns in spide rs. In- Sperm competition a(ueous solution until all the tissue 0as and dissolved. Cleared specimens 0e re finally the evolution of mating systems (R.L. Smith ed.), transferred into glycerin and checked 0ith a light pp. 223-242. Harvard Dniversity Press, microscope . They 0ere photographed, using a Cambridge , Massachusetts. digital camera. Berendonck B, Hreven H (2005) Henital Result and Discussion2 structures in the e ntelegyne 0ido0 spider Neoscona rumpfiis a small spide r ust 17.00 mm Latrodectus revivensis (Arachnida9 in le ngth 0ith dark bro0n Cephalothora1, grayish Araneae 9 Theridiidae) indicate a lo0 ability bro0n abdomen and legs are yello0ish in color. for cryptic female choice by sperm The epigynum of Neoscona rumpfi 7Iig.1-, is an manipulation. G Morphol 263-11.F132. arched and heavily sclerotiCed plate 0ith a length Codington, G.A. and Levi, H. B. (1221). of 0.2 mm ve ntrally. It is situated on the ve ntral Systematics and e volution of spide rs side of the femaleKs abdomen. ,pigynal scape 0ith (Arane ae). Annual Revie0 of ,cology and constriction at the bending point and provided Systematic 22,565-22. 0ith a pair of conspicuous horn like lateral lobes Costa, 3. H., PéreC-Miles, 3. and Corte, S. (2000). ve ntral side of the epigyne provided 0ith a median Bhich spe rmathe ca is inse minated by each bulge. The spe rmatheca is paired and 0ith both palp in Theraphosidae spide rsS- a study of copulatory and fertiliCation ducts. 8ligo1ystre argentinensis (Ischnocolinae). Neoscona sinhagadensisis also smaller spider Gournal of Arachnology 2., 131F132. 0ith a total le ngth of ust 12.00 mm. The ,be rhard, B. H. (2004) 0hy study spider se1- ge neraliCed color of Cephalothora1 and legs, are special traits of spiders facilitate studies of ye llo0ish bro0n and the abdomen appeared sperm competition and cryptic female ye llo0ish 0hite in color. The epigynum of N. choice . G Arachnol 32-545F556. sinhagadensis (3ig. 2), is also highly sclerotiCed Haupt, G. (2003). The Mesothe laela monograph plate, on the ventral side of opisthsoma, close to of an e1ceptional group of spiders (Araneae- the gonopore. Along ventral side it is Mesothe lae). Noologica 154, 1F102. comparatively longe r 0ith a ve ntral length of Tikader, B. %. and Bal, A., (12.1). Studies on 0.75mm. It has a scape , 0ith an atrium on both some orbF 0eaving spiders of the gene ra sides. It is provided 0ith prominent, 0ide rim and Neoscona Simon and Araneus Clerck of the is 0ithout constriction. There are t0o family Araneidae (UArgiopidae ) from India. spermathecae on each side, both are oval slightly Rec. Nool. Surv. India, 8cc. Pap., 24- 1F60. obli(ue and thumb-like . Both spe rmathecae Dhl, H. (2000) 3emale genital morphology and e1tend from a massive D-shaped structure. sperm priority patterns in spide rs Neoscona theisi is very minute spider with total (Arane ae). In- Toft S, Scharff N (eds) length of just A.E0 mm. ItSs Cephalothorax and ,uropean Arachnology 2000. Aarhus legs, were yellowish brown colored and the Dniversity Press, Aarhus, pp 145F156. abdomen brownish white. The epigyne (3ig. 3) is The Borld Spider Catalog. (2017). flattened sclerotiCe d plate its ve ntral length is 0.2 He n.Neoscona,Simon,1.64 mm. epigyne have a mode rately long cape which _urn-lsid-nmbe.ch-spiderge n-01522], become slightly narro0 constricted near the base. http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/genusdetail/365 It is also provided with prominent rim and a SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 267 ICRTS-2017 IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online) SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 268 ICRTS-2017 .