Callophrys Billberg

Munguira, Miguel L., Martín, José, García-Barros, Enrique, Shahbazian, Gayaneh & Cancela, Juan Pablo, 2015, Morphology and morphometry of Lycaenid eggs (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), Zootaxa 3937 (2), pp. 201-247 : 209

Genus Callophrys Billberg

( Figs. 4 E, F and 5A, B)

In the two species of the genus ( Callophrys rubi (Linnaeus) and C. avis Chapman ) the egg has hemispherical shape with a depressed annular zone. They both have similar areas surrounding the micropyle, with rounded to polygonal smooth bottomed cells and five micropylar openings, with the micropylar rosette having five petals. The cells from this area have stronger walls in C. rubi ( Fig. 4 F). The tubercle-aeropyle zone has a hexagonal pattern formed by triangular cells where small, blunt ended and wide pinnacles protrude in C. rubi ( Fig. 4 E). In C. avis ( Fig. 5 A, B) the tubercle-aeropyle and transition zones are occupied by a reticulum with reduced walls and with tubercles which are not very prominent, this characteristic differentiates it from the egg of C.rubi . Also the bottom of the cells is rather smooth in C. rubi , whereas in C. avis it has a surface with the appearance of a sponge. The cell walls are rather thick in both species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Scanning electron microscope photographs of a general view of the egg and the detail of the annular zone of the eggs of Laeosopis roboris (A, B), Tomares ballus (C, D), and Callophrys rubi (E, F). Scale bars 500 (A) 300 (C), 200 (E), 50 (B), and 20 Μm (D, F).

FIGURE 5. Scanning electron microscope photographs of a general view of the egg and the detail of the annular zone of the eggs of Callophrys avis (A, B), Satyrium w-album (C, D), and S. spini (E, F). Scale bars 500 (A, C), 200 (E), and 50 Μm (B, D, F).