Female genital morphology and sperm storage in the velvet spiderEresus kollari(Araneae: Eresidae)

Abstract In the present study, we examined the female genital system of a velvet spider (Eresus kollari Rossi 1846) using light and electron microscopy. The female entelegyne genitalia of E. kollari comprises an epigyne with an anterior wide longitudinal bar and folds which are incurvated sidewards. The anterior end of these folds corresponds to enlarged anterior bulges which are connected to a distinct copulatory duct leading to lobular spermathecae. The anterior bulge is equipped with many large pores whereas the spermathecae has many small pores. At present, only a few studies have focussed on the ultrastructure and possible function of adjacent epithelia in entelegyne genitalia of spiders revealing the presence of complex class 3 gland cell units around the spermathecae and ducts. Alternatively our analysis finds two different types of epithelia. The anterior bulge is equipped with class 3 gland cells whereas the spermathecae are surrounded by a putative transport epithelium. This epithelium is charac...