FURTHER DATA ON THE ULTRASTRUCTURE AND THE SECRETORY PRODUCTS OF THE FEMALE ACCESSORY GLANDS OF CERATITIS CAPITATA (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE)

The female reproductive accessory glands of Ceratitis capitata are formed by two structures opening into the vagina. Each of them comprises an apical reservoir and a glandular duct which in the distal part has a typical sphincter. The reservoir shows two kinds of cells, as in class III of insect ectodermal glands: secretory cells and duct-forming cells. After emerging, the former produce a highly proteinaceous secretion; the latter organize an efferent duct for the transport of the secretion into the gland lumen. Gel electrophoresis indicates that the main protein components are comprised between 13 and 38 kDa. Amino acid analysis revealed a large amount of aspartic acid, arginine and histidine. Preliminary observations showed that the accessory gland secretion do not remove the micropyle cap of the ovary eggs, which is still evident after laying. However, the secretion seems to modify the Dolichos biflorus agglutinin binding sites.