Helicoverpa gelotopoeon

Sosa-Gómez, Daniel Ricardo, Specht, Alexandre, Andrade, Celia Guadalupe Tardelli de Jesus & Murúa, Maria Gabriela, 2024, External microstructure of eggs from major owlet moth pests (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) associated with Brazilian soybean crops, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (e 20240079) 68 (4), pp. 1-17 : 6

Helicoverpa gelotopoeon

Eggs are laid individually. They are hemispherical with a slightly flattened base, and do not have visible ribs at the base. Initially, they are light yellow and measure between 515 µm and 540 µm in diameter and 528 µm to 547 µm in height ( Fig. 9A ). The average number of micropyles is three (2–4) and they are surrounded by a rosette composed of 11 to 14 primary cells ( Figs. 9B and 9C ). The petals have outlines in low relief ( Fig.9B ). The distal ends of the rosette petals have a rounded appearance ( Figs. 9A and 9B ). In specimens collected in northern Argentina, we found 27 to 32 radial ribs, with 12 to 16 primary radial ribs near the petaloid rosette and 15 to 16 secondary ribs. The surface of the petals of the primary rosettes is smoother than the surface outside the petals; additionally, the petals show a bubble appearance inside ( Fig. 9B ). The aeropyles (0.6 µm - 0.9 µm), from one to four on each radial keel, are distributed near the upper third of the egg, approximately at the height where the secondary ribs end, or lower than that ( Figs.9D and 9E ). The texture of the egg surface is wrinkled and visible at magnifications between 12,000x and 15,000x ( Fig. 9F ).

Figures

Figure 9 Helicoverpa gelotopoeon eggs.A) eggshell,B) micropylar region and petals of the rosette,C) micropyles,D) aeropyles distributed along the radial ribs near the top region of the egg, E) aeropyle, F) texture of the eggshell surface.