Publication details
Larval morphology and anatomy of the parasitoid Exorista larvarum (Diptera: Tachinidae), with an emphasis on cephalopharyngeal skeleton and digestive tract.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Parasitology |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.journalofparasitology.org/perlserv/?SESSID=27dcea100e4b3e8f9a93399fc753a14a&request=get-abstract&doi=10.1645%2FGE-1673.1 |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | tachinid fly; larval development; histology; encapsulation |
| Description | The endogenous development of the tachinid gregarious larval parasitoid Exorista larvarum (Diptera) has been analyzed in the last larval instar of a factitious host, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera). Study has focused on the parasitoid internal body structures and their changes during the larval development. The 1 and 2 instar larvae are enveloped by host-derived hemocyte capsule attached to the respiratory funnel via an anal hook located between 2 anal lobes. The 3 instar abandons the respiratory funnel and migrates free in the body cavity of the already dead host. The anterior third of the parasitoid body is occupied by cephalopharyngeal skeleton with large salivary glands, massive proventriculus and cerebral ganglia. The extensive digestive tract is differentiated into well-marked individual parts. The abdomen is predominantly filled with the extremely long mesenteron that increases in size during development. The whole body is covered by an apparently thin integument with strong spines. |
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