Abstract
The chorionic patterns of Ephemeroptera eggs are very diverse and these have often been used for taxonomic and systematic purposes. In a great number of species, including Potamanthus luteus, Ephemera danica and Oligoneuriella rhenana, these egg features have been studied using light microscopy. However, current trends in egg morphology studies use scanning electron microscopy (SEM), so that the eggs of these species need to be re-described in order to establish morphological comparisons. The general chorionic features which have already been described in these three species are confirmed in our SEM study, although a more detailed description of both the architecture and arrangement of these can now be offered. In addition, this study has allowed us to note new morphological data, such as the chorionic reticulation in P. luteus and the complex extrachorion-adhesive layer in E. danica; classification of the lateral attachment structure in P. luteus and O. rhenana has been changed; and the variability of the polar cap observed in P. luteus underlines the care that must to be taken when selecting chorionic structures for taxonomic purposes.References
Alba-Tercedor, J. (2000) Habrophlebia antoninoi sp. n., a new species from Spain, with an account of the European species of Habrophlebia Eaton, 1881 (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae, Habrophlebiinae). Aquatic Insects, 22, 17.
Alba-Tercedor, J. & El Alami, M. (1999) Descriptions of the nymphs and eggs of Acentrella almohades sp. n. from Morocco and Southern Spain (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae). Aquatic Insects, 21, 241–247
Alba-Tercedor, J. & Sowa, R. (1987) New representatives of the Rhithrogena diaphana-group from Continental Europe, with a redescriptions of R. diaphana navás, 1917 (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae). Aquatic Insects, 9, 65–83.
Balasubramanian, C., Venkataraman, K. & Sivaramakrishnan, K.G. (1991) Life stages of a South Indian burrowing mayfly, Ephemera (Aethephemera) nadinae McCafferty and Edmunds 1973 (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae). Aquatic Insects,13, 223–228.
Belfiore, C., Haybach, A. & Klonowska-Olejnik, M. (1999) Taxonomy and phenetic relationships of Electrogena affinis (Eaton, 1883) (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae). Annales de Limnologie, 35, 245–256.
Bengtsson, S. (1913). Undersöknigar öfver äggen hos Ephemeriderna. Entomologisk Tidskrift, 34, 271–320.
Brittain, J.E. (1982) Biology of Mayflies. Annual Review of Entomology 27, 119–147
Degrange, C. (1956) Sur les micropyles des oeufs des Ephéméroptères. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 61, 147–148
Degrange, C. (1957) L'Oeuf et le mode d'éclosion de quelques Plécoptères. Travaux du Laboratoire d'Hydrobiologie et de Pisciculture de l'Université de Grenoble, 48/49, 37–49
Degrange, C. (1960) Recherches sur la Reproduction des Éphémeroptères. Travaux du Laboratoire d'Hydrobiologie et de Pisciculture de l'Université de Grenoble, 51, 71–93.
Domínguez,, E. & Cuezzo, M.G. (2002) Ephemeroptera egg chorion characters: A test of their importance in assessing phylogenetic relationships. Journal of Morphology, 253, 148–165.
Gaino, E. & Bongiovanni, E. (1992) Comparative morphology of epithemata (polar chorionic estructures) in the eggs of Ephemerella ignita (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae). Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 111, 255–265.
Gaino, E. & Bongiovanni, E. (1993) Scanning electron microscopy of the eggs of Palingenia longicauda (Olivier) (Ephemeroptera: Palingeniidae). International Journal of Insect Morphology & Embriology, 22, 41–48.
Gaino, E. & Mazzini, M. (1988) Fine structure of the chorionic projections of the egg of Rhithrogena kimminsi Thomas (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) and their role in egg adhesion. International Journal of Insect Morphology & Embriology, 17, 113–120
Gaino, E. & Mazzini, M. (1989) Chorionic adhesive material of the egg of the mayfly Habrophlebia eldae (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae): morphology and synthesis. Bolletino di Zoologia, 56, 291–298.
Gaino, E. & Puig, P. (1996) Choroterpes (Choroterpes) salamannai, a new species of mayfly from Central and South West Spain (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae). Bolletino della Societ Entomolgica Italiana, 128, 99–104.
Gaino, E. & Rebora, M. (2001) Synthesis and function of the fibrous layers covering the eggs of Siphlonurus lacustris (Ephemeroptera, Siphlonuridae). Acta Zoologica Stockholm, 82, 41–48.
Gaino, E. & Rebora, M. (2003) Adhesiveness of the eggs of Ecdyonurus venosus to siliceous and calcareous substrate. In: Gaino, E. (Ed.), Research Update on Ephemeroptera & Plecoptera. University of Perugia, Perugia, pp: 437–443.
Gaino, E., Belfiore, C. & Mazzini, M. (1987) Ootaxonomic investigation of the Italian species of the genus Electrogena (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae). Bolletino di Zoologa, 54, 169–175.
Gaino, E., Mazzini, M. & Sartori, M. (1993) Comparative analysis of the chorionic pattern in Habroleptoides species (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae). Bolletino di Zoologa, 60, 155–162.
Gaino, E., Mazzini, M., Degrange, C. & Sowa, R. (1989) Etude en microscopie a balayage des oeufs de quelques especes de Rhithrogena Eaton groupe alpestris (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae). Vie Milieu, 39, 219–229.
Haybach, A. (2003) Egg-structure of German mayflies (Insecta, Ephemeroptera).- an overview. Lauterbornia, 47, 41–58.
Hinton, H.E. (1981) Biology of Insects Eggs. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp.
Jacobus, L.M. & Sartori, M. (2004) Review of the genus Hyrtanella (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae). Zootaxa, 785, 1–12.
Kang, S.C. & Yang, C.T. (1994) Ephemeroidea of Taiwan (Ephemeroptera). Chinese Journal of Entomology, 14, 391–399.
Klonowska-Olejnik, M. (1997) The use of egg morphology in the taxonomy of some species of the genus Rhithrogena (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae). In: Landolt, P. & Sartori, M. (Eds.), Ephemeroptera & Plecoptera: Biology - Ecology – Systematic. MTL, Fribourg, pp. 457–462.
Klonowska-Olejnik, M. (2004) Redescription of Electrogena quadrilineata (Landa, 1969) from type material (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae). Aquatic Insects, 26, 85–95
Klonowska-Olejnik, M. & Jazdzewska, T. (2003) Scanning electron microscopy study of the eggs of some rare mayfly (Ephemeroptera) species: Ametropus fragilis, Isonychia ignota and Neoephemera maxima. In: Gaino, E. (Ed.), Research Update on Ephemeroptera & Plecoptera. University of Perugia, Perugia, pp. 147–462.
Kopelke, J.P & Müller-Liebenau, I. (1981a) Eistrukturen bei Ephemeroptera un deren Bedeutung für die Aufstellung von Artengruppen am Beispiel der europäischen Arten der Gattung Baetis Leach, 1815 (Insecta: Baetidae). Teil II: rhodani-, vernus- und fusctus-Gruppe. Spixiana, 4, 39–54
Kopelke, J.P. & Müller-Liebenau, I. (1981b) Eistrukturen bei Ephemeroptera un deren Bedeutung für die Aufstellung von Artengruppen am Beispiel der europäischen Arten der Gattung Baetis Leach, 1815 (Insecta: Baetidae). Teil III: buceratus-, atrebatinus-, niger-, gracilis- und muticus-Gruppe. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 28, 13
Kopelke, J.P. & Müller-Liebenau, I. (1982) Eistrukturen bei Ephemeroptera un deren Bedeutung für die Aufstellung von Artengruppen am Beispiel der europäischen Arten der Gattung Baetis Leach, 1815 (Insecta: Baetidae). Teil I: alpinus-, lutheri- und lapponicus-Gruppe. Gewsser und Abwsser, 68/69, 7–25
Koss, R.W. (1968) Morphology and taxonomic use of Ephemeroptera eggs. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 61, 696–721.
Koss, R.W. & Edmunds, G.F.Jr. (1974) Ephemeroptera eggs and their contribution to phylogenetic studies of the order. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 55, 267–349.
Malzacher, P. (1982) Eistrukturen europäischer Caenidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, A, Biologie, 356, 1–15.
Mazzini, M. & Gaino, E. (1985) Fine structure of the egg shell of Habrophlebia fusca (Curtis) y H. Consiglioi Biancheri (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae). International Journal of Insect Morphology & Embriology, 4, 327–334.
Mazzini, M. & Gaino, M. (1990) Oogenesis and involvement of chorinic structures in Ephemeroptera taxonomy. In: Campbell, I.C. (Ed.), Mayflies and Stoneflies. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York, pp. 95–104.
Pescador, M.L. & Edmunds, G.F.Jr. (1994) New genus of Oligoneuriidae (Ephemeroptera) from South America. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 87, 263–269.
Poprawa, I., Baran, A. & Rosciszewska, E. (2002) Structure of ovaries and formation of egg envelopes in the stonefly, Leuctra autumnalis Aubert, 1948 (Plecoptera: Leuctridae). Ultraestructural studies. Folia Biologica Krakow, 50, 29–38.
Puig, M.A. & Gaino, E. (1996) Choroterpes (Choroterpes) pratti n. sp., a new species of mayfly from North-East of Spain (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae). Annales de Limnologie, 32, 229–233.
Rosciszewska, E. (1991a) Ultrastructural and histochemical studies of the egg capsules of Perla marginata (Panzer, 1799) and Dinocras cephalotes (Curtis, 1827) (Plecoptera: Perlidae). International Journal of Insect Morphology & Embriology, 20, 189–203
Rosciszewska, E. (1991b) Morphological changes developing after oviposition on egg capsule surface of Isoperla rivulorum Gurin (Plecoptera: Perlodidae). Zoologische Jahrbcher, Anatomie, 121, 253–258.
Smith, O,R. (1935) The egg and eggs-laying habits of North American mayflies. In: Needham, J.G., Traver, J.R. & Hsu, Y.C. (Eds.), The Biology of Mayflies. Ithaca, New York, pp. 67–89.
Soldan, T. (1979) The structure and development of the female internal reproductive system in six european species of Ephemeroptera. Acta entomologica bohemoslovaca, 76, 353–365.
Soldan, T. & Thomas, A.G.B. (1983) New and little-known species of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) from Algeria. Acta entomologica bohemoslovaca,80, 356–376.
Stark, B.P. & Szczytko, S.W. (1988) Morphology and phylogeny in Arcynopterygini (Plecoptera: Perlodidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 61, 143–160.
Studemann, D. & Landolt, P. (1997) Eggs of Ephemerellidae (Ephemeroptera). In: Landolt, P. & Sartori, M. (Eds.), Ephemeroptera & Plecoptera: Biology - Ecology – Systematic. MTL, Fribourg, pp. 362–371.
Studemann, D., Landolt, P. & Tomka, I. (1995) Eggs of the european Ephemerellidae (Ephemeroptera). In: Corkum, L.D. & Ciborowski, J.H. (Eds.), Current direction in research on Ephemeroptera. Canadian Scholars' Press Inc, Toronto, pp. 407–422.
Thomas, A.G.B., Gaino, E. & Maire, V. (1999). Complementary descripton of Habrophlebia vaillantorum Thomas, 1986 in comparison with H. fusca (Curtis, 1843) (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae). Ephemera, 1, 9–21.
Towns, D.R. & Peters, W.L. (1979) New genera and species of Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera) from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 6, 439–452.
Ubero-Pascal, N. (2004) Estudio Morfológico del huevo en los Órdenes Ephemeróptera y Plecóptera. Aplicación Taxonómica en la cuenca del Río Segura (S.E. de la Península Ibérica). Unpublished D. Phil. Thesis, Murcia University, Murcia, 580 pp.
Ubero-Pascal, N., Puig, M.A. & Soler, A. (1998) Los Efemerópteros de la cuenca del río Segura (S.E. de España): 1. Estudio Faunístico (Insecta: Ephemeroptera). Boletín de la Asociación Española de Entomología, 22, 151–170.
Ubero-Pascal, N., Soler, A. & Puig, M.A. (2001) Contribution to the egg morphology of the spanish stoneflies (Plecoptera). An overview in the Segura river basin (SE of Spain). In: Domínguez, E. (Ed.), Trends in Research in Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, pp. 467–478.
Ubero-Pascal, N., Fortuño, J.M. & Puig, M.A. (2005) New application of air-drying techniques for studying Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera eggs by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Microscopy Research and Technique, 68, 264–271