Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ZOOMORPHOLOGY, cilt.145, sa.1, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
This study is the first description of the histological and ultrastructure of the internal organs of the superworm Zophobas morio (Fabricius, 1776), which possesses the capacity to be utilized as a nutrient source for sustenance and animal feed. For examination, adult insects' midgut, Malpighian tubules, testes, and ovarioles were isolated, processed, and analyzed on light microscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that the midgut displayed numerous gastric caeca and a peritrophic membrane. Cells with well-differentiated cytoplasmic organelles and extended microvilli suggested that the midgut primarily functions in absorption. Malpighian tubules possess a singular layer of cuboidal epithelium characterized by a prominent nucleus. The epithelial cells are filled with secretory granules. Numerous folds of the basement membrane are present in the basal region of the epithelial cells. The female reproductive system comprises a pair of ovaries. Each ovary consists of 6 telotrophic meroistic type ovarioles. The ovariole comprises four delineated areas: terminal filament, germarium, vitellarium, and pedicel. The male reproductive system has a pair of testes. The testis has cysts at different developmental zones (growth, maturation, and differentiation). Spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, and spermatozoa were distinguished in these zones. Spermatozoa cover more than half of the testis. These features help allow future comparisons with the internal organs of other Coleoptera species with special reference to the Tenebrionidae.