ANATOMY, HISTOLOGY, AND SECRETIONS OF SALIVARY GLANDS OF THE LARGE MILKWEED BUG, ONCOPELTUS FASCIATUS (DALLAS) (HEMIPTERA: LYGAEIDAE)

Abstract

As in most Heteroptera, the salivary system of Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) consists of a pair of trilobed principal glands and a pair of tubular accessory glands with associated ducts; the anatomy and histology are reported in detail. Tests for digestive enzymes demonstrated the presence of amylase, protease, invertase, and lipase. The various lobes of the salivary glands contain different digestive enzymes, a finding that is at variance with some published reports on allied Heteroptera.