Reproductive behaviour in the male cricket Gryllus bimaculatus DeGeer. I. Structure and function of the genitalia

Abstract

We have investigated the morphology and physiology of the genitalia of the male cricket to establish a basis for neuroethological study of its reproductive behaviour. First, the structure of the phallic complex, including the dorsal pouch, guiding rod, epiphallus, ventral lobes and median pouch, are described, as are the muscles, cuticle, membranes and biomechanics of copulation. The innervation and sensory receptors have also been examined. Second, the functional role of the muscle in each genital organ has been determined by direct observation of muscle contraction during spontaneous or evoked movements and by analysis of the changes in movements after the ablation of the muscle. Third, for the flexible membranous organs, the ventral lobes and median pouch, the passages for haemolymph and their dynamic properties have been examined using petroleum jelly. Fourth, the sequence of coordinated motor actions performed by the internal and external genital organs, which were induced in both restrained and dissected males using newly developed techniques, has been analyzed during tethered copulation and spermatophore formation. As a result, the mechanisms of copulation and spermatophore formation are now more fully understood.