Light and electron microscope observations of the midgut of the lychee stinkbug, Tessaratoma papillosa Thun. (Heteroptera: Tessaratomidae)
Cheung, WW-K.; Lai, L-M.
Bulletin of the Institute of Zoology Academia Sinica (Taipei) 251: 25-38
1986
Accession: 021287265
The midgut of Tessaratoma papillosa can be coveniently divided into 5 regions: stomach, tubular midgut, midgut bulb, posterior bulb, and posterior midgut. Each portion of the midgut has distinct types of epithelial cells and ultrastructural pattern. The stomach cells contain numerous mitochondria, vacuoles, lipoid spheres, endoplasmic reticulum and mineral spherites. The basal plasma membrane is much infolded. The tubular midgut cells have essentially similar fine structure as that of stomach cells but less lipoid spheres. The midgut bulb is spherical in shape. The cells have scanty rough endoplasmic reticulum. The bulb lumen is filled with a pasty material and some yellow lipoid droplets which are insoluble in water and common organic solvents. The posterior bulb cells have scanty mitochondria and mineral spherites. The bulb lumen has filamentous materials which are broken membranes. The posterior midgut cells have sparse microvilli and the lumen has many rod-like bacteria. The possible functions of each of the above gut regions in relation to their distinct morphology are discussed in this report.