The oviduct is a brood chamber for facultative egg retention in the parthenogenetic oribatid mite Archegozetes longisetosus AOKI (Acari, Oribatida)

Abstract

Archegozetes longisetosus is a parthenogenetic oribatid mite and a chelicerate model organism. We examined the localisation of processes between vitellogenesis and embryogenesis as well as the anatomy and histology of involved structures by means of light- and electron microscopy. The proximal oviduct is differentiated into an oviductal bulb, exhibiting a strong secretory epithelium. Here, solidification of the egg shell instantaneously occurs upon passing of the egg from the perivitelline space into the oviductal lumen. This is interpreted as an internalised oviposition with the generation boundary being effectively located at the ovary-oviduct transition, rendering the oviducts into functional brood chambers. The parity mode combines elements of oviparity and ovolarviparity with facultative egg retention.