THE INSECT: ITS INTERNAL STRUCTURE 



23 



or by other names. Conventional signs for the various forms of insects 

 as a convenience, are : cfmale; 9 female; 9 worker. 



In the female (Fig 29) the eggs are produced n a pair of ovaries located in 

 the upper front part of the abdomen. Each is a cluster of ovarian tubes whose 

 walls are cells. Some of these cells grow and separate from the others to lie in the 

 central cavity of the tube and then pass downward, growing till they reach its 

 hinder end, which connects with the similar ends of all the ovarian tubes of that 

 side to form a single tube called the oviduct. This extends downward and back- 



cd. 



FIG. 29. FIG. 30. 



FIG. 29. Female reproductive organs of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) ; ag, accessory 

 gland; o, ovaries; od, oviduct; pg, poison gland; r, rectum, cut off and end bent back; sr, 

 seminal receptacle; v, vagina. (Modified from Leuckart's Wandtafeln.) 



FIG. 30. Male reproductive organs of Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera L.) ; ag, accessory 

 gland; ed, ejaculatory duct; s, spermaries; vd, vasa deferentia. (Modified from Leuckart's 

 Wandtafeln.) 



ward around the side of the alimentary canal, below which it joins with a similar 

 oviduct from the other side of the body to form a single duct, the vagina, which 

 lies below the alimentary canal, and extends backward to its outer opening which 

 is located in most cases, in front of the next to the last abdominal segment. 

 Surrounding this opening may be external structures (an ovipositor) for the pur- 

 pose of together making holes in some object (the ground, wood, etc.) in which 

 to deposit the eggs. A side pouch (seminal receptacle) connected with the vagina 

 is for the storage of the sperms which fertilize the eggs; a gland producing material 

 which forms the egg shell and is known as the shell gland, also opens into this 

 portion, and other glands similarly connected with the vagina, may also be 

 present. 



