Abstract
The ovaries of the beetle Xyleborus ferrugineus reared on standard sawdust diet with an without 0.08% sorbic acid added were examined for differences in ultrastructural development of the oocytes. Indications of vigorous yolk deposition are an extensive rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum (RER), numerous electron-dense secretory vesicles and a prominent nucleus in associated follice cells, and extremely electron-opaque material in the interfollicular cell spaces and the perioocytic area. After 6 days of feeding without added sorbic acid, a mature terminal oocyte is present in one of the two ovaries. This terminal oocyte at this mature stage contains yolk spheres and lipid bodies. However, the most mature oocyte in beetles reared on the standard sawdust diet to which 0.08% sorbic acid was added remained at a previtellogenic stage after 6 days of feeding. Titers of ecdysone in 6-day-old adult females reared on standard sawdust without and with 0.08% sorbic acid added were 534.64 ± 20.93 S.D. pg/mg and 39.94 ± 14.71 S.D. pg/mg body weight, respectively.