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. 2014 Mar 26;9(3):e93383.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093383. eCollection 2014.

Sperm bundles in the seminal vesicles of sexually mature Lasius ant males

William E Burnett  1 , Jürgen Heinze  2
Affiliations

Sperm bundles in the seminal vesicles of sexually mature Lasius ant males

William E Burnett et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

In many insects, sperm cells are produced in bundles with their heads being held together by a glycoprotein matrix secreted by a cyst cell. Mature sperm cells in the seminal vesicles are usually free, but in sawflies and several other insects, such structures (spermatodesmata) remain intact and sperm cells may be ejaculated as bundles. Here we report the occurrence of spermatodesmata in mature males of the ant Lasius pallitarsis. Microscopic investigations of the abdominal contents of males immediately prior to their nuptial flights showed that the anterior ends of numerous sperm cells were embedded in an oval-shaped 20 by 30 micrometer extracellular fibrous cap. Individual sperm ranged in length from 55 to 75 micrometers with an average overall length of 65 micrometers. The bulb-shaped heads of the sperm were relatively small, only about 1.5 micrometers in length and about 1.1 micrometers in diameter. The diameter of the sperm tails was approximately 1 micrometer. Observations of live preparations of the spermatodesmata showed increasingly active undulating wave-like movement of the sperm tails as the slide preparations aged. This appears to be the first case of sperm bundles being present in the seminal vesicles of mature ant males--males that are immediately poised to complete their nuptial mating flight.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: William E. Burnett's affiliation with Bitterroot Services Co. does not alter the authors' adherence to all PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. The Company did not have any interests in this particular study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A pair of sperm bundles or spermatodesmata from Lasius pallitarsis, Phase Contrast (PC) microscopy.
Image captured with blue filter at approximately 400×. Horizontal scale bar represents 20 micrometers.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Grouping of sperm bundles or spermatodesmata from Lasius pallitarsis, Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy.
Image captured at approximately 200×. Horizontal scale bar represents 50 micrometers.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Close up view of Lasius sperm embedded in fibrous extracellular cap.
Gram's Stain preparation, HMC at approximately 1000× (400× with 2.5× setting on Zeiss Optivar Magnification Changer). Horizontal scale bar represents 10 micrometers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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