Morphology and morphometry of Lycaenid eggs (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Author
Munguira, Miguel L.
Author
Martín, José
Author
García-Barros, Enrique
Author
Shahbazian, Gayaneh
Author
Cancela, Juan Pablo
text
Zootaxa
2015
3937
2
201
247
journal article
41754
10.11646/zootaxa.3937.2.1
0db28e35-d6a3-49e3-b0a4-d2e430c11268
1175-5326
234855
81C79871-DD3C-4240-9480-529202B5DBD4
Genus
Callophrys
Billberg
(
Figs. 4
E, F and 5A, B)
In the two species of the genus (
Callophrys rubi
(Linnaeus)
and
C. avis
Chapman
) the egg has hemispherical shape with a depressed annular zone. They both have similar areas surrounding the micropyle, with rounded to polygonal smooth bottomed cells and five micropylar openings, with the micropylar rosette having five petals. The cells from this area have stronger walls in
C. rubi
(
Fig. 4
F). The tubercle-aeropyle zone has a hexagonal pattern formed by triangular cells where small, blunt ended and wide pinnacles protrude in
C. rubi
(
Fig. 4
E). In
C. avis
(
Fig. 5
A, B) the tubercle-aeropyle and transition zones are occupied by a reticulum with reduced walls and with tubercles which are not very prominent, this characteristic differentiates it from the egg of
C.rubi
. Also the bottom of the cells is rather smooth in
C. rubi
, whereas in
C. avis
it has a surface with the appearance of a sponge. The cell walls are rather thick in both species.