›› 2008, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (8): 810-816.

• RESEARCH PAPERS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Morphological study of the reproductive system of Dermatophagoides farinae (Hughes) (Acariformes: Pyroglyphidae)

WU Gui-Hua   

  • Online:2010-07-27 Published:2008-08-20

Abstract: Dermatophagoides farinae is one of the important species of medical mite. In this study, the reproductive system of both male and female of  D. farinae was investigated under both light and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the male genital system consists of testis, vasa deferentia, accessory gland, ejaculatory duct, penis and accessory copulatory organs. Testis is situated in the haemolymphatic cavity of the opisthosoma and unpaired, in which spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa are regularly distributed in sequence during spermatogenesis. The female genital system consists of bursa copulatrix, ductus bursae, receptaculum seminis, ductus receptaculi, ovaries, oviducts, uterus, ovipositor and oviporus. Among them, ovaries are composed of a large nutritive central cell surrounded by germ cells of different developmental stages.

Key words: Dermatophagoides farinae, reproductive system, morphology, scanning electron microscopy