Light and scanning electron microscope investigations on the structure of proventriculus in Melanogryllus desertus (Pallas, 1771) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

This study was carried out between the years 2005 and 2008 in the Invertebrate Culture and Research Laboratory at Ege University, Turkey. In this work, we aimed to investigate the proventriculus morphology of Melanogryllus desertus using light and scanning electron microscopy. The general morphology of the proventriculus resembles other Gryllidae species in that sclerotized appendices are arranged in six internal rows. Structurally, sclerotized appendices are composed of a middle tooth and two lateral teeth, both adorned with denticles rounded in shape. Although four middle denticles are found in general, their numbers vary to as many as five or six. In addition, there are sclerotized lobes and sclerotized partitions among sclerotized appendices, and they are densely setose.