Fat in the Midgut Walls of the Overwintering Two-Spotted Spider Mite, Tetranychus urticae1,2

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Abstract
The storage of an orange lipid material in the walls of the midgut of the overwintering female two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (McEnroe 1961), has been questioned by Helle (1968). Fig. 1, top, shows the mass of lipid droplets in the walls and caecal folds of the midgut of the overwintering female. The complete absence of food balls is characteristic of the overwintering phase. Changes in histochemical staining of the midgut also occur between the summer and overwintering form. Phenylthiocetate activity is lost, and 1-napthol acetate activity increases in the overwintering form. Long chain esters continue to show staining activity in the midgut of both the summer and winter form (McEnroe 1963a). Because of the shunt in the digestive system (McEnroe 1963b), fat digestion must occur in the midgut. The role of fats as a store of metabolic reserve is usually essential during hibernation (Prosser 1950).

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