Cuticular ultrastructure development in male genitalia of Schistocerca americana (Orthroptera: Acrididae: Cyrtacanthacridinae) during teneral period

In insects, it is commonly understood that structural growth terminates with final molting in to adult instar after which there is no further development. Not holding true for all insects, grasshoppers exhibit qualitative post-emergence development of the male genitalia after final molting until sexual maturation. This genital development has been extensively documented in Schistocerca americana (Orthroptera: Acrididae: Cyrtacanthacridinae) in which all four components of the phallic complex (endophallus, ectophallic sclerite, cingulum, and epiphallus) undergo qualitative development by differential cuticle deposition, resulting in shape changes. In this study, we investigate the genital development at the ultrastructural level using a scanning electron microscope. We document the fine details in cuticular and sensory development in all four components of male genitalia and discuss the implication of this finding in taxonomy.