PULVILLI OF CALLIPHORA-ERYTHROCEPHALA (DIPTERA, BRACHYCERA) AS ADHESIVE ORGANS

The pulvilli of Calliphora erythrocephala were examined by light microscopy, fluorescent light microscopy, SEM and TEM. The adhesive secretion was compared with the general surface lipid layer by means of thinlayerchromatography. On the ventral surface the pulvilli bare several thousand long, slender tenent hairs with solelike spatulate tips. The pulvillar cuticle is composed on the whole of elastic cuticle types (endocuticle, mesocuticle) with specific modifications of structure. The pulvilli contain a secretory epithelium without transport ducts which has lipid and proteinaceous inclusions. The pulvillar secretion is a slowly volatile oily liquid which is not identical to the general surface lipid. The secretion is stored in the homogeneous cuticle within the pulvillus and transported to the ventral surface via the pore canal system. The correlation between the structure of pulvilli and their function in the adhesion process is discussed here. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.