A Preliminary Comparative Anatomical Study of the Mesothoracic Aorta of the Lepidoptera
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A preliminary comparative anatomical study of the mesothoracic aorta of the Lepidoptera Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Hessel, John Hofman, 1934- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 02/10/2021 08:56:47 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/318547 A PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE ANATOMICAL STUDY OF THE MESOTHORACIC AORTA OF THE LEPIDOPTERA by John H<, Hesse 1 A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 6 6 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library, Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made„ Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: /-2, , fa WILLIAM L, NUTTING / Date Professor of Entomology ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For my introduction to the .study of insect morphology as well as for his continued encouragement and most helpful suggestions throughout the course of this studys I wish to express my most sincere gratitude and appreciation to Dr, William L, Nutting, To Dr, Charles L, Remington of Yale University I am most grateful for his helpful suggestions : concerning possible species for investigation and the communication of his current thoughts on the phylogeny of the Lepidoptera, In addition, I am most appreciative of Dr. Remington’s kindness in supplying living specimens of Galleria meHone11a for study. Lastly, I am indebted to Mr, Scott Ellis of Hotchkiss, Colorado, for his efforts in supplying preserved specimens of Fafn'a's'sius phoebis smintheus, and to my father, Sidney A. Hessel, for providing determinations of several of the species studied. TABLE OF. CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES v ABSTRACT <► <> a o » o o <> o » » <> » o <> <> v n INTRODUCTION 1 LIST OF SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA STUDIED , „ 0 :4 . MATERIALS. AND METHODS 10 RESULTS OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 14 Generalized morphology of the aorta . 14 Types of aortal arrangement , . 16 l o Ventral unchambered aorta . 16 2 o Vertically chambered aorta . « 16 . 3<,Horizontally chambered aorta , 18 Chamber . » « 0 . 18 0 S *t. 3- a. OpOOOOOOO 18 Variations in the anatomy of the chamber « o « o o 22 Aortal configuration » , 24 4o- Dorsal unchambered aorta . o <. 26 Variations . « , o o = 26 PHYLOGENETIC CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS , 28 SUMMARY OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 36 LITERATURE CITED 39 KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS o » = 41 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Parasagittal view of portion of mesothorax showing typical rhopaloceran aortic and horizontal chamber location and configuration „ . „ , = .42 lAo Enlarged view of ostial apparatus . 42 - 2 o Parasagittal view of higher moth mesothorax showing aortic and vertical chamber location and configuration , , 42 3. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of a pyralidoid showing primitive arrangement of the aorta ^ooooeoeoo.o 42 4„ Parasagittal view of mesothorax of a . cossoid showing aortal and chamber arrangement. 42 5, Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Megathymus yuccae .........o. 43 6 o Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Hy'lephila phyleus ° . 43 7. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Epargyreus clarus „ » » .......... 43 8. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Pyrrhopyge araxes 43 9. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Parnassius ph'oebus . » » . « « » 43 10. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Battus philenor .......... 43 V Figure Page 11, Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Papilio rutulus . ,>00000 43 12. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Papilio multicaudata ..... 43 13. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Pieris protodice 44 14. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Colias caesonia 44 15. Parasagittal, view of mesothorax of Danaus gilippus 000000 44 16. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Euptychia henshawi 000000 44 17. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Vanessa cardui 000000 44 18, Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Libytheana bachmanii . 44 19. Parasagittal view of mesothorax of Hypaufotis crysalus 44 CM O Parasagittal, view of mesothorax of Apodemia mormo 000000 44 21, Dendrogram showing general association of some 1 epidop"te'ran superfamilies, 45 ABSTRACT The aortas of fifty-eight species of Lepidoptera representing two superfamilies of Rhopalocera and seven superfamilies of Heterocera were examined with the aid of vital staining. Two distinct types of mesothoracic aortal chambers were found, A vertical type was found in the Tortricoidea and higher moths * and a horizontal type was found in the Cossoidea and most rhopaloceran families. No chamber was found in the Papilionidae or Pyralidoidea, The former case may be attributed to a degenerate condition, and the latter to an exhibition of the primitive aortal configuration, A pair of lateral incurrent ostia of an unusual type were found in the horizontal chamber and the details of their conformation were worked out. It is proposed that the ostia operate passively in response to differ ential haemolymph pressure. In the Rhopalocera, the entrance of the aorta into the mesothorax is generally found to involve perforation of the second phragma. In the Hesperiinae, Papilioninae, and Lycaenidae the aorta passes beneath the phragma and enters the region viii of the flight muscles anterior to the phragma. Phylogenetic relationships based on chamber type are proposed which involve some modifications of previously proposed schemes. INTRODUCTION While considerable work, has been done relating to the external morphology of. the Lepidoptera, little has been studied of the internal morphology in this order. The previous endeavors have been largely in the nature of more or less detailed studies of single species and, as far as I am aware, no comparative studies have been undertaken with the examination of representative species from various families and subfamilies. Of all the internal systems, the dorsal, vessel probably has received the least attention. Only in the case of Bombyx mori L, has the insect been studied in detail, and the structure of the dorsal vessel of B.mori in all stages of the life cycle has been exhaustively treated by Gerould (1938), Broeher (1919, 1920) has dealt with the mesothoracic aorta in several species of Sphingidae„ Of all the Rhopalocera, only the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (L,), has received significant treatment by internal morpholo- gists, although Burgess (1880), Urquardt (1960), and 1 Ehrlich and Davidson (1961) devoted, little attention to the. dorsal vessel in their respective studies of the internal anatomy of this well-known butterfly. It was therefore decided that a comparative anatomical study of the dorsal vessel^ such as was conducted by Nutting (1951) in the Ortho.pteroid Complex and Wille (19.58) in the Apoidea, might yield hitherto undiscovered facts which would be useful to taxonomists and which might shed light on phylogenetic relationships within the Lepidoptera, In this nexploratory” study to determine whether a more exhaustive investigation would prove worth while9 it was thought best to limit the investigation to the mesothoracic aorta of the Rhopaloeera and to a few representative Heterocera which might reveal a close phylogenetic relationship to the Rhopalocera, Species of Rhopalocera were chosen in an attempt to represent as many subfamilies as possible. The intensity of treatment of the subfamilies is9 admittedly uneven. This is due partially to a bias on the part of the author for common9 large 9 and easily dissected species 9 and partly due to the necessity of appraising the differences found. Only by investigating several closely related species could observed differences be! ascribed, to specific, generic, subfamily, or family characteristicso The reason for the relatively extensive treatment of. the Papilioninae was due to the unusual nature of the aorta in this taxon. With the exception of. the Parnassiinae, representatives were collected by the author in Arizona or Connecticut, For this reason subfamilies not represented in the fauna of these states regrettably have been omitted. LIST'OF SPECIES OF LEPIDOPTERA STUDIED In the following arrangement of species studied, no single authority is followed. Rather,, the most readily available of recent synonymic lists are used for species and generic nomenclature, while the most generally accepted systematic schemes, which reflect recent re visionary studies are used for higher cate gories, This decision is based largely on convenience and is not intended to express any convictions of the author as to the systematics of the Lepidoptera, In the Rhopalocera, nomenclature through the generic level in the Papilionoidea,