Morphology of the male reproductive tract in the water scavenger beetle Tropisternus collaris Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Members of the Hydrophilidae, one of the largest families of aquatic insects, are potential models for the biomonitoring of freshwater habitats and global climate change. In this study, we describe the morphology of the male reproductive tract in the water scavenger beetle Tropisternus collaris. The reproductive tract in sexually mature males comprised a pair of testes, each with at least 30 follicles, vasa efferentia, vasa deferentia, seminal vesicles, two pairs of accessory glands (a bean-shaped pair and a tubular pair with a forked end), and an ejaculatory duct. Characters such as the number of testicular follicles and accessory glands, as well as their shape, origin, and type of secretion, differ between Coleoptera taxa and have potential to help elucidate reproductive strategies and the evolutionary history of the group.