Ultrastructure and motility pattern of the spermatozoa of Aleochara curtula (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

Ultrastructure and motility pattern of spermatozoa of the rove beetle Aleochara curtula were examined using electron. and light microscopic methods. The spermatozoon is about 100 mum long and filiform. The head piece comprises a 5 Lm long triple layered acrosome and 10 mum long nucleus. The flagellum consists of a 9+9+2 axoneme, two accessory bodies and two mitochondrial derivatives about equal in size but of different shape in their cross sections. In both derivatives there are paracrystalline inclusions. The flagellum is attached to the head by a 2 mum long centriole adjunct which is characterized by its electron dense material that forms a three layered folded lamellar structure. When liberated in buffer solution the sperm flagella assume a coiled hook-like form with the excentric stiff head protruding in front. The spermatozoa are driven through the medium by a small helicoidal wave of high frequency superimposed to the bent flagella. The maximum speed measured was 15.2 mum/s. The sperm architecture of A. curtula is similar to that of other Aleochara species but differs in total length and dimensions of the mitochondrial derivatives. For that reason Aleochara sperm can certainly prove useful to study the effect of the mitochondrial derivatives on sperm motility. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.