Reproductive morphology and physiological age-grading of female Brazilian Salvinia weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae

Over 600 dissections of were performed to describe reproductive system morphology, identify stages of ovarian development, and relate number of eggs oviposited to stages of reproductive development of female Cyrtobagous salviniae. The reproductive system of C. salviniae contains two ovaries comprised of two membraneous ovarioles. The ovarioles are divided into a distal germarium and a proximal vitellarium that houses the developing follicles. The ovarioles terminate in lateral oviducts which unite to form a common oviduct. A spermatheca and accessory glands are also connected to the common oviduct. There are five stages of reproductive development, three parous (egglaying) and two nonparous. These are differentiated by the number and maturity of follicles in the vitellarium, the presence of eggs in the oviducts, and the presence or absence of follicular relics. A fecundity study currently underway using aged cohorts of C. salviniae females will be used to link reproductive stages with the number of eggs oviposited to establish an age-grading system.