Morphology of female reproductive system of Mediterranean flatheaded peachborer, Capnodis tenebrionis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

Capnodis tenebrionis causes damage in many species of Rosaceae. The present study investigates on the morphology of the female reproductive system of C. tenebrionis. The female reproductive system of C. tenebrionis has a pair of ovaries, lateral oviducts, a common oviduct, spermatheca, and bursa copulatrix. Each ovary in C. tenebrionis consists of approximately 24 telotrophic meroistic type ovarioles. The ovarioles of C. tenebrionis have four regions (terminal filament, tropharium, vitellarium, and pedicel). Tropharium have trophocytes, young oocytes, and prefollicular cells. Vitellarium consists of previtellogenic, vitellogenic, and choriogenic oocytes. Previtellogenic oocyte is surrounded by cylindrical epithelial cells. Its ooplasm is homogeneous and basophilic. In vitellogenic oocyte, there are intercellular spaces between monolayered follicle cells. Its ooplasm has yolk granules and lipid droplets. Choriogenic oocyte are surrounded by chorion and single-layered cylindrical cells. There are yolk granules and lipid droplets in its ooplasm which is asidophilic. In C. tenebrionis female, spermatheca and bursa copulatrix wall is surrounded by thin cuticular intima, monolayer epithelial, glandular cells, and muscle layer. Spermatheca lumen contains a large number of spermatozoa. Bursa copulatrix lumen is filled with secretory material. This study may be useful in terms of the morphology of mature female reproductive organs of Buprestidae and other coleopteran species.