Female Reproductive System and Histology of the Ovariole of the Asparagus Beetle, Crioceris asparagi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)1

Abstract

Crioceris asparagi (L.), like some other chrysomelids, lacks the female accessory gland which generally secretes egg-shell adhesive. A histological study of the ovariole revealed that in this beetle the epithelium of the pedicel secretes this adhesive. The various parts of the ovariole and the formation of the germinal vesicle are described and illustrated.