Loxa deducta, Walker, 1867

Matesco, Viviana C., Fürstenau, Brenda B. R. J., Bernardes, Jorge L. C., Schwertner, Cristiano F. & Grazia, Jocélia, 2009, Morphological features of the eggs of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) *, Zootaxa 1984, pp. 1-30 : 13

Loxa deducta

( Figs. 81–86 ; Tab. 2 )

Eggs barrel-shaped; white-translucent to light brown; chorion with dense and long pilosity overall surface, sometimes being confused with aero-micropylar processes ( Grazia & Frey-da-Silva 2001). Operculum circular and slightly convex, in spite of its description as subrectilineal ( Grazia & Frey-da-Silva 2001). The eggs examined are almost spherical, and the chorion is always translucent; content of the egg grants it a pale coloration, light green. Aero-micropylar processes long, filiform, and translucent, arranged in an ellipse not coincident to the operculum margin.

In SEM, chorion surface spinose, marked by numerous acute spines of different lengths ( Figs. 81, 82 ). At lateral wall of the egg, chorion smooth, without any depressions, with several spines, connected to each other by sheets which form wide hexagonal figures ( Fig. 83 ). Near aero-micropylar processes, spines are longer and more numerous ( Fig. 84 ). Operculum is not well delimited before hatching; the anterior pole has the same sculpture pattern than lateral wall of the egg ( Figs. 82, 84 ). Aero-micropylar processes long and tubular, slightly decreasing in diameter toward the apex ( Fig. 85 ). At larger magnification, aero-micropylar processes surface rugose, but not spongy ( Fig. 86 ).

Figures

FIGURES 71–85. Eggs of Pentatomidae in SEM. Fig. 71. Detail of the chorion and aero-micropylar process of C. musiva egg. Aero-micropylar process with a subapical hole (arrow). Fig. 72. Detail of the spongy aero-micropylar process of C. musiva egg. Fig. 73. Egg of Grazia tincta in lateral view, showing the anterior pole without operculum and the posterior pole with sheets of adhesive material. Fig. 74. Chorion surface of the lateral wall of G. tincta egg. Fig. 75. Detail of the lateral wall of G. tincta egg. Central area of a hexagonal cell (arrow). Fig. 76. Hexagonal cells of the chorion of G. tincta egg, with spine-like projections. Fig. 77. Anterior pole of G. tincta egg. Fig. 78. Detail of the chorion surface of G. tincta egg, with long and filiform projections. Fig. 79. Aero-micropylar process of G. tincta egg. Central hole (arrow). Fig. 80. Detail of the spongy surface of an aero-micropylar process of G. t inc t a egg. Fig. 81. Egg of Loxa deducta in lateral view. Posterior pole with sheets of adhesive material (arrow). Fig. 82. Egg of L. deducta in dorsal view. Fig. 83. Detail of the lateral wall chorion of L. deducta egg. Fig. 84. Anterior pole of L. deducta egg, with long and numerous spines near the aero-micropylar processes. Fig. 85. Aero-micropylar process of L. deducta egg. Apical hole (arrow). (amp—aero-micropylar processes; ap—anterior pole; el—eclosion line; op—operculum; pp—posterior pole).

FIGURES 86–100. Eggs of Pentatomidae in SEM. Fig. 86. Detail of an aero-micropylar process of L. deducta egg. Fig. 87. Egg of Pallantia macunaima in lateral view. Contact area with neighboring egg (arrow). Fig. 88. Egg of P. mac un - aima in dorsal view. Fig. 89. Detail of the chorion of P. macunaima egg, covered with spines connected by fine sheets (asterisk). Fig. 90. Aero-micropylar processes of P. macunaima egg. Apical hole (arrow). Fig. 91. Egg of Odmalea basalis in dorsal view. Fig. 92. Detail of the chorion surface of O. basalis egg. Fig. 93. Egg of Thyanta humilis in lateral view. Fig. 94. Egg of T. humilis in dorsal view. Fig. 95. Detail of the lateral wall of T. humilis egg, with small circular projections at surface. Fig. 96. Lateral wall of T. humilis egg, with two types of chorion sculpture: an area with granulated surface and other with mushroom-like projections. Fig. 97. Detail of the lateral wall of T. humilis egg with mushroom-like projections. Fig. 98. Detail of mushroom-like projections of the chorion of T. humilis egg. Central hole (arrow). Fig. 99. Anterior pole of T. humilis egg. Fig. 100. Detail of the spongy wall of an aero-micropylar process of T. humilis egg. (amp —aero-micropylar processes; ap—anterior pole; el—eclosion line; gr—granulated surface; lw—lateral wall; mp—mushroom-like projections; op—operculum).