Behavior Of Sperm In Cotton Bollworm, Helicoverpa Armigera (H(?)bner)

Using anatomy, histological and histochemical methods, microscope and ultrastructure observations; the author studied the release, transfer, reserve, distribution and motility of sperms in cotton bollworm, and the ultrastructure of sperms in different developing stages. The results are briefly summarized as follows:The eupyrene bundles in testis of cotton bollworm were released to sperm-modified vesicle 4 h before emergence, and they were sequently transferred to seminal vesicle 2 h before emergence. In contrast, the apyrene bundles were released to sperm-modified vesicle 6 h before emergence, and they appeared in seminal vesicle 4 h before emergence. The release time of apyrene sperm was early than that of eupyrene sperm.The number of eupyrene and apyrene sperm bundles in testis decreased linearly with the increase of moth age. Reversely, the number of eupyrene and apyrene sperm bundles in seminal vesicle increased linearly with the increase of moth age. The copulation had no influence on release and storage of sperm bundles.When copulating, the male transferred all his sperms in seminal vesicle to the female抯 body. There was no sperm reflux in cotton bollworm.59The eupyrene bundles dissolved in spermatophora within 1 h after copulation.In 1 .5h after copulation, both eupyrene and apyrene sperms started their transmission from the spermatophora to spermatheca. In 2h after copulation, sperms finished their transmission. Thereafter, the numberof sperms in spermatheca decreased gradually. After sperms were?transferred to spermatheca, it remained in the utriculus in the form ofsperm mass. No sperm was found in lagena; Transportation of sperms to the spermatheca was performed by means of rhythmic muscular contraction of the female reproduction tract. The active apyrene sperms were believed to assist in the transmission of eupyrene sperms.Both eupyrene and apyrene sperms in sperm modified-vesicle and seminal vesicle were unable to move. After copulation, only apyrene sperms in spermatophora were motile. In contrast, when the sperms transferred to spermatheca, only eupyrene were motile. Moreover, there was distinct difference in the rate of motility and movement fashion between eupyrene sperm and apyrene sperm.Observations under transmission electron microscope showed that the eupyrene sperm of cotton bollworm consists of acrosome nucleus~ flagellum and appendages on the plasma membrane, etc.. The internal portion of the flagellum was composed of mitochondrial derivatives and axoneme, axoneme was constructed with nine doublets, nine accessory tubules and two central tubules, which arranged as the 9+9? classical pattern. The apyrene sperms were composed of acrosome and flagellum. The flagellum was composed of mitochondrial derivatives and axoneme, three kinds of mitochondrial in the axoneme were also present in the 9+9+2 pattern. However, on the plasma membrane of the apyrene sperm there was not any60appendage.After the eupyrene and apyrene sperm were released from testis, their ultrastructure changed distinctly in the sperm-modified vesicle. The lacinate appendages of eupyrene sperm disappeared, and the sperm was surrounded by an envelope from top to tail. Moreover, the apyrene sperm bundle dissolved to single sperm and some substances surrounded the surface of each apyrene sperm. When they reached the spermatheca, the noumenon of eupyrene and apyrene sperm hatched from the envelope.