COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY OF FEMALE GENITALIA AND THE COPULATORY MECHANISM IN TRYPETIMORPHINI (HEMIPTERA, FULGOROMORPHA, TROPIDUCHIDAE)

A comparative morphological study of the female genitalia in Trypetimorphini shows that Caffrommatissus trimaculatus has a monotrysian conditions, while species of Trypetimorpha and Ommatissus are ditrysian Dissection of Trypetimorpha biermani Dammerman in copula shows that spermatozoa are first deposited in the bursa copulatrix and probably are transferred secondarily into the spermatheca. Maintenance of copulatory position is achieved by the male's gonostyli gripping the female's VIII gonapophyses, by endosoma inflation, and by eversion of antero-ventrally directed endosomal processes. Existence of the ditrysian condition in Fulgoromorpha is disputed and the presence of a copulatory-duct has to be interpreted as a neoformation in Tropiduchidae, although within this group it could have evolved several times independently.