Journal of the North American Benthological Society

Published by: North American Benthological Society



Journal of the North American Benthological Society 27(2):269-279. 2008
doi: 10.1899/07-128.1

A new parthenogenetic mayfly (Ephemeroptera:Ephemerellidae:Eurylophella Tiensuu) oviposits by abdominal bursting in the subimago

David H. Funk1, John K. Jackson2, Bernard W. Sweeney3

Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, Pennsylvania 19311 USA

Abstract

Eurylophella oviruptis new species is described and illustrated from female larvae and reared subimagos and imagos collected from swamp streams in North Carolina, USA. Several key morphological characters in the larva place this new species in the Eurylophella temporalis group. Genetic comparisons with other eastern North American Eurylophella revealed a fixation of alleles unique to E. oviruptis at 4 of 19 allozyme loci. Eurylophella oviruptis appears to be obligately parthenogenetic because no males were observed in the field or laboratory and eggs taken from subimagos and imagos hatched parthenogenetically (mean hatch rate = 79%). Abdomens of 60% of subimagos reared in the laboratory burst along the ecdysial line of the first 3 tergites immediately after transformation to the subimago at the water surface. Abdominal bursting ruptured the oviducts, released most of the eggs into the water, and left the subimago trapped on the water surface with a large, inflated midgut protruding from the split in the tergites. Subimagos that did not burst (40%) flew from the water surface, molted to the imago on the 2nd day following emergence, and then, without having mated, extruded a ball of eggs that was released into the water. Dissections of E. oviruptis and 5 other species of mayflies showed that inflation of the mayfly gut normally occurs at 3 stages: emerging larvae inflate prior to and during the molt to the subimago, subimagos (particularly males) inflate further at the imaginal molt, and female imagos inflate even further at oviposition. Gastrointestinal inflation in mayflies maintains full abdominal distention that might facilitate flight. Abdominal bursting in E. oviruptis subimagos appears to be the result of gut inflation well beyond the amount normally associated with this stage. The evolutionary significance (predation, dispersal, demographics) of oviposition by abdominal bursting is discussed.

Received: October 12, 2007; Accepted: January 28, 2008



Literature Cited

Allen, R. K. and G. F. Edmunds. 1963. A revision of the genus Ephemerella (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae) VII. The subgenus Eurylophella. Canadian Entomologist 95:597623.
Brinck, P. 1957. Reproductive system and mating in Ephemeroptera. Opuscula Entomologia 22:137.
Brittain, J. E. 1982. Biology of mayflies. Annual Review of Entomology 27:119147. CrossRef, CSA
Edmunds, G. F., S. L. Jensen, and L. Berner. 1976. The mayflies of North and Central America. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Edmunds, G. F. and W. P. McCafferty. 1988. The mayfly subimago. Annual Review of Entomology 33:509527. CrossRef
Fritze, A. 1888. Ueber den Darmkanal der Ephemeriden. Bericht der Naturforschende Gesellschaft Freiburg 4:524.
Funk, D. H., J. K. Jackson, and B. W. Sweeney. 2006. Taxonomy and genetics of the parthenogenetic mayfly Centroptilum triangulifer and its sexual sister Centroptilum alamance (Ephemeroptera:Baetidae). Journal of the North American Benthological Society 25:417429. Abstract
Funk, D. H. and B. W. Sweeney. 1994. The larvae of eastern North American Eurylophella Tiensuu (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 120:209286. CSA
Funk, D. H., B. W. Sweeney, and R. L. Vannote. 1988. Electrophoretic study of eastern North American Eurylophella (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae) with the discovery of morphologically cryptic species. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 81:174186. CSA
Harker, J. E. 1999. The structure of the foregut and midgut of nymphs, subimagos and imagos of Cloeon dipterum (Ephemeroptera) and the functions of the gut of adult mayflies. Journal of Zoology 248:243253. CrossRef
Koss, R. and G. Edmunds. 1974. Ephemeroptera eggs and their contribution to phylogenetic studies of the order. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 55:267349. CrossRef
McDunnough, J. 1931. The bicolor group of the genus Ephemerella with particular reference to the nymphal stages (Ephemeroptera). Canadian Entomologist 63:3042.6168.
Needham, J. G., J. R. Traver, and Y-C. Hsu. 1935. The biology of mayflies. Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, New York.
Palmén, J. A. 1884. Ueber paarige Ausführungsgänge der Geschlectorgane bei Insecten; eine morphologische Untersuchung, Helsingfors.
Pickles, A. 1931. On the metamorphosis of the alimentary canal in certain Ephemeroptera. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 79:263274.
Sternfeld, R. 1907. Die Verkümmerung der Mundtheile und der Funktionswechsel des Darms bei den Ephemeriden. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Anatomie und Ontogenie der Tiere 24:415430.
Sweeney, B. W. and R. L. Vannote. 1984. Influence of food quality and temperature on life history characteristics of the parthenogenetic mayfly, Cloeon triangulifer. Freshwater Biology 14:621630. CrossRef, CSA
Sweeney, B. W. and R. L. Vannote. 1987. Geographic parthenogenesis in the stream mayfly Eurylophella funeralis in eastern North America. Holarctic Ecology 10:5259.
Zera, A. J. and R. F. Denno. 1997. Physiology and ecology of dispersal polymorphism in insects. Annual Review of Entomology 42:207230. CrossRef, PubMed, CSA

Fig. 1. Eurylophella oviruptis, female larval exuviae. A.—Dorsal view of abdomen (bar = 1 mm). B.—Anterior view of head showing occipital tubercle (arrow). C.—Dorsal view of terga 4–7. D.—Dorsal view of posterolateral projections on abdominal segments 2 and 3. E.—Eurylophella doris, lateral view of gill 4 (arrow points to dorsal subdivisions of ventral lamella). F.—Eurylophella prudentalis, lateral view of gill 4

Fig. 2. Female subimago of Eurylophella oviruptis after abdominal bursting. A large, inflated midgut and small remnants of ovaries and oviducts can be seen protruding from a split along the midline of the first 3 tergites

Fig. 3. Female imago of Eurylophella oviruptis on water surface with eggs fully extruded, just before their release into the water

Cited by

Luke M. Jacobus, W. P. McCafferty. (2008) Revision of Ephemerellidae Genera (Ephemeroptera). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 134:1 & 2, 185-274
Online publication date: 1-Mar-2008.

Abstract & References : Full Text : PDF (7047 KB) : Rights & Permissions 

 
BioOne is the product of innovative collaboration between scientific societies, libraries, academe and the private sector.
 
21 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036 • Phone 202.296.2296 • Fax 202.872.0884
 
Copyright © 2009 BioOne All rights reserved