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Animalia >Arthropoda >Insecta >Hemiptera >Aphididae >Toxoptera >

The fact that aphids give birth to miniature aphids are written even in elementary-school textbooks. They are regarded as typical examples of ovoviviparous insects among many insects that are oviparous (egg-laying). How actually does an aphid give birth to its offspring? Watch closely. Insect bodies coming out of the vulva look very smooth and lack any projections (legs, antennae, and siphunculus) that baby aphids have. An egg-like thing first comes out from the vulva. The speed at which it is extruded decreases and the extruded egg-like thing is hanging in the vulva. After a while, the top of the egg-thing ruptures and antennae, front legs and then siphunculus appear. A baby aphid with its shedding at the tail extends its legs to grab on the leaf surface and tries to get separated from the mother. The baby fells on the leaf and at the same time drops the shedding. It puts the tip of proboscis on the leaf surface, moves backward and brings the proboscis upright, and inserts it into the leaf fresh - the first feeding of its life. If you look aphid colonies closely, you could find numerous pieces of shedding. These are thought to be embryonic membranes rather than egg shells. But well, which is true?

(Data No.momo050122tc01b)

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