Morphology and morphometry of Lycaenid eggs (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Author
Munguira, Miguel L.
Author
Martín, José
Author
García-Barros, Enrique
Author
Shahbazian, Gayaneh
Author
Cancela, Juan Pablo
text
Zootaxa
2015
3937
2
201
247
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3937.2.1
0db28e35-d6a3-49e3-b0a4-d2e430c11268
1175-5326
234855
81C79871-DD3C-4240-9480-529202B5DBD4
Genus
Satyrium
Scudder
(
Figs.
5
C–F,
6
and
7
A, B)
The eggs of this genus have generally a sea urchin appearance with the only exception of
Satyrium
w-album
(Knoch) that has a lenticular shape and a flat micropylar pole (
Fig.
5
C, D). This species has the annular zone with clearly defined cells with smooth walls and interior, a wide transition zone with barely any sculpture and an equatorial area whose cells have prominent walls and tubercles forming a crown.
S. spini
(Denis & Schiffermüiller)
(
Fig.
5
E, F) has prominent spiny tubercles protruding from the corners of the cells on the tubercleaeropyle zone, a not well defined transition zone and a depressed flat annular zone with circular holes and a lobed micropyle rosette normally with three primary cells.
S. ilicis
(Esper)
,
S. esculi
(Hübner)
, and
S. acaciae
(Fabricius)
share very similar egg morphology, with spiny tubercles that are shorter in these three species than those of
S. spini
.
S
urrounding the annular zone
S. ilicis
(
Fig.
6
A, B) has a set of rounded tubercles which make the micropylar depression deeper and can be diagnostic from
S. esculi
(
Fig.
6
C, D), that is otherwise a very similar species.
S. acaciae
(
Fig.
6
E, F) has always scales glued to the chorion surface, because the female covers the egg after laying it with scales from a specific tuft located at the end of its abdomen. Finally,
S. pruni
(
Fig.
7
A, B) shows an annular zone almost devoid of ornaments. In the transition and tubercle-aeropyle zone it has a structure of quadrangular cells, whose edges give rise to small pinnacles with opened tips.