Changes in sperm tail ofEyprepocnemis plorans(Insects, Orthoptera) as a result ofin vitroincubation in spermathecal extract

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Abstract
Sperm modifications induced in vitro by spermathecal extracts from virgin females of the orthopteran Eyprepocnemis plorans were studied. In this species spermatozoa undergo a series of progressive changes in surface and flagellar organization during storage in the spermatheca. Similar modifications were also observed in vitro, although with different timing and quantification. The starting point of flagellar modifications is in the “triskelionlike” units of the fibrous network, a fibrillar system in the space between the axoneme and mitochondrial derivatives. The spermathecal extract induces disorganization of the “triskelions,” causing progressive dismantling of the sperm tail and suggesting that these structures are the key point of connection between the flagellar components. Only spermathecal extract from sexually mature individuals caused such modifications in vitro. Preliminary experiments were performed to identify the components of spermathecal extract responsible for these changes.