Loxa deducta

(Figs. 81–86; Tab. 2)

Eggs barrel-shaped; white-translucent to light brown; chorion with dense and long pilosity overall surface, sometimes being confused with aero-micropylar processes (Grazia & Frey-da-Silva 2001). Operculum circular and slightly convex, in spite of its description as subrectilineal (Grazia & Frey-da-Silva 2001). The eggs examined are almost spherical, and the chorion is always translucent; content of the egg grants it a pale coloration, light green. Aero-micropylar processes long, filiform, and translucent, arranged in an ellipse not coincident to the operculum margin.

In SEM, chorion surface spinose, marked by numerous acute spines of different lengths (Figs. 81, 82). At lateral wall of the egg, chorion smooth, without any depressions, with several spines, connected to each other by sheets which form wide hexagonal figures (Fig. 83). Near aero-micropylar processes, spines are longer and more numerous (Fig. 84). Operculum is not well delimited before hatching; the anterior pole has the same sculpture pattern than lateral wall of the egg (Figs. 82, 84). Aero-micropylar processes long and tubular, slightly decreasing in diameter toward the apex (Fig. 85). At larger magnification, aero-micropylar processes surface rugose, but not spongy (Fig. 86).