Structural changes of the follicular cells during developmental stages of the malaria vector mosquitoes Anopheles pharoensis (Diptera: Culicidae) in Egypt

The structure modulation of follicular cells and the ovarian changes during fourth larval instar and pupal stage of the malaria vector mosquitoes Anopheles pharoensis Theobald were investigated using the light and electron microscopy. The generative organs consist of a pair of polytrophic ovaries (OV), which are oblong, spindle-shaped bodies, lying dorsolaterally and occupying the region from the mid-fifth to the mid-sixth abdominal segment in the fourth larval instar, while in the pupal stage, each ovary (OV) is situated in the haemocoel of the sixth abdominal segment. It is an oblong body slightly larger in diameter; the lumen of the calyx becomes wider and central, and the pedicel (P) consists of one row of compact discoidal cells; meanwhile, in the fourth larval instar, the pedicel is without a lumen and consists of two rows of discoidal cells which are arranged as a short column between the follicle and calyx. The mean volume of the follicle in the fourth larval instar is 9.078 ± 3.0178 μm³, meanwhile in the pupal stage being 12.051 ± 2.427 μm³. The germarium (G) decreases in size in the pupal stage and contains a group of cells from which the oogonia differentiate, follicular cells which are similar to trophocytes, undifferentiated into one oocyte (O), which will develop into an egg and it is statistically the smallest one measured (0.058 ± 0.0041 μm³, 0.303 ± 0.0086 μm³) in fourth larval instar and pupal stage, respectively as compared to the others within the follicle which will be accompanied as nurse cells (NC). The follicle is enclosed by a mononuclear flattened cells (follicular membrane), which have distinct boundaries. The vitellarium is differentiated into primary (F1) and secondary follicles (F2) in the pupal stage. The Golgi apparatus (GA) appears as discrete bits which are restricted to the perinuclear zone. The mitochondria (M) in the fourth larval instar are in the form of granules and short rods. They are perinuclearly distributed, forming a ring that surrounds the comparatively large nucleus. In the pupal stage, a similar condition to that described for the larva is observed, but with an increase in size and numbers, due to breaking up of rods into granules.