Open AccessDETERMINATION OF AGE and MATED STATE OF ADULT PTERO‐HELAEUS DARLINGENSIS CARTER (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE)
Author(s) -
ALLSOPP P. G.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
australian journal of entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1440-6055
pISSN - 1326-6756
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1979.tb00846.x
Subject(s) - biology , zoology , anatomy , wing , mating , engineering , aerospace engineering
Newly emerged male Pterohelaeus darlingensis Carter have flaccid seminal vesicles and females have minute ovaries. Newly emerged adults of both sexes are pale, have large amounts of abdominal fat and undeveloped wing muscles. Progressive changes in these characters allow an estimate of age to be made. Mated females are distinguished by the shape and colour of the bursa copulatrix. A scheme is proposed which allows broad categorization of age of both sexes and mated state of females.