COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF HEMOCYTES OF 3 LEPIDOPTERANS BY LIGHT AND SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

Haemocytes of 3 lepidopterans [Danaus chrysippus L. (Nymphalidae), Earias fabia Stoll (Noctuidae) and Argina astrea (Drury) (Arctiidae)] were studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. From each species seven types of haemocytes were recognised: prohaemocytes, plasmatocytes, granular haemocytes, oenocytoids, coagulocytes, spherulocytes and adipohaemocytes. Of these, plasmatocytes were polymorphic with great variation in shape and size. In A. astrea some plasmatocytes were much larger with linear striations. In addition to these types, tri-radiant and spindle-shaped plasmatocytes were also present in D. chrysippus and A. astrea, but as there was no surface structure that could distinguish them from other plasmatocytes, these were not considered as separate classes of haemocytes.