Ovulation and oviposition

 During ovulation, each egg passes across the

opening to the spermatheca and stimulates
release of a few sperm onto the egg's surface.

 These sperm swim through the micropyle (a

special opening in the egg shell) and get inside
the egg.

 Fertilization occurs as soon as one sperm's

nucleus fuses with the egg cell's nucleus.

 Oviposition (egg laying) usually follows closely

after fertilization using ovipositor (Sclerotised)
 Once these processes are complete, the egg is
ready to begin embryonic development.
 Metamorphosis
Change in form as the insect ages
from egg to adult (Imago)

After adult stage has been

reached molting stops except in
primitive order Thysanura
 Egg structure
 Eggs
 1) Structure;
 Chorion -Modifications:

 Micropyle - sperm entry.

 Aeropyles - gas exhange.

 Lines of weakness - ring of follicular cells don't

secrete as much material
 (in some eggs) near anterior end.
 Egg Eclosion
 = Hatching
 This is facilitated by the tiny larvae in the egg
swallowing amniotic fluid and air along with
muscular contraction inducing specific eclosion
movement to rapture the chorion

 Some larva have egg busters (spine)

 The rapture is along a specific line or end cap.

This specificity in the rapture is sometimes used
in classification as the case in the diptera, where
the Cyclorraphus and Orthorraphus are
classification describes the rapture line.
 Most larval eat the shell after eclosion.
 Larval Stage
 Also known as Nymph
 Every insect moults once or more

 Primitives molt more

-some apterygota moult up to 14 times

-Collembola can moult through out
life
-ephemeroptera moult 20 times
-most insects molt 2-9 times
Each molt stage is called an Instar

The interval of time between moults is called

stadium or stadia
 The process of moulting is called Ecdysis

 The cast skin of the former instar is called

Exuviae
 The change in size between the instars
closely follows DYAR’S law or
approximately 1 : 1.4 increase in size at
each molt.
 Larval Types

 Classification based on Structural types:

1) Protopod larvae:
is a little more than an embryo. Is parasitic
and lives in its food common in parasitic
hymenoptera wasp. The egg of such
organisms contain little yolk and their
survival is because they occur in the food
2) Polypod larvae :
the larval type also called Eruciform. Larva
is the caterpillar form. Mostly of Lepidoptera,
saw fly.
 Polypod larvae(Cont’d)

Has well developed head, jointed thoracic legs

and fleshy prolegs on the abdomen(Outgrowth
of abdomen)
Polypod live on or near their food and are not very
active.
 Oligopod larvae

 Larva have well developed

head,jaws,and thoracic legs without
prolegs.
 They are very active food hunters
 Apodous larvae
 The trunk legs are completely
absent,poorly developed thoracic
prolegs if present. these are thought to
have been derived from the oligopod
 Have well developed head. Can not
move (?) but live in their food
 Like : Maggot and
 Types of Metamorphosis
 1) Ametabolous; (Gladual metamorphosis)

-The immature only from the adults in that they are

smaller and lack reproductive organs.

-There is little external change as the insect

grows.

Eg; Collembola
 Types of Metamorphosis(Cont’d)
 2) Hemimetabolous (Incomplete metamorphosis)

 There is marked differentiation as the insect

grows.
 While nymph still looks like the adult, the
external features like wings and genitalia show
noticeable changes .
 Holometabolous

 Complete metamorphosis:there is great

morphological and behavior differences
between the stages. The larvae are
fundamentally different from the adults in
almost all features

Holometabolous (Cont’d)