AbstractA comparison of appressed teeth-like structures, coined tempers, on the flagellum of the male internal sac among 10 North American and one Asian species of tiger beetles is consistent with earlier proposed genera of Cicindela Linné, ranked here as subgenera. Based on scanning electron photomicrographs, observations revealed that the flagellum has a single groove along its whole length, with tempers in the groove, and for most species tempers are present only on one side of the ungrooved flagellar surface; tempers point basally (proximally) both on the flagellar surface and within the flagellar groove; and a distributional pattern of the tempers appears to be unique to each subgenus. The species Cicindela punctulata Olivier and Cicindela lepida Dejean have a lumen in place of a flagellar groove, the former with tempers on the ungrooved flagellar surface and the latter without. Tempers on the ungrooved surface of the flagellum are assumed to grip the inner wall of the spermathecal duct while penetrated by the flagellum during insemination or preinsemination clearing. The presence of tempers on one side of the flagellum promotes rapid, smooth insertion and removal of the flagellum from the duct. It is proposed that tempers of the flagellar groove assist the flow of seminal materials to the spermatheca by guiding the narrow neck of the spermatophore into the spermathecal duct while the flagellum is inserted.
摘要 对北美和亚洲的 10 种虎甲虫雄性内囊鞭毛上的齿状结构(称为 "鬓毛")进行了比较,结果与早先提出的林内虎甲虫属(Cicindela Linné)一致,这里将其列为亚属。根据扫描电子显微照片观察发现,鞭毛全长有一条沟,沟内有鬓毛,大多数物种的鬓毛只存在于无沟鞭毛表面的一侧;鬓毛在鞭毛表面和鞭毛沟内都指向基部(近端);鬓毛的分布模式似乎是每个亚属独有的。Cicindela punctulata Olivier 和 Cicindela lepida Dejean 这两个物种有一个管腔,而不是鞭毛沟,前者在无沟槽的鞭毛表面上有鬓毛,后者则没有。鞭毛无凹槽表面上的鬓毛被认为是在授精或授精前的清管过程中,鞭毛穿透精囊管时用来抓紧精囊管内壁的。鞭毛一侧的鬓角能促进鞭毛快速、顺畅地插入精管或从精管中拔出。据推测,鞭毛沟的鬓角可在鞭毛插入精囊管时引导精囊窄颈进入精囊管,从而帮助精液流向精囊。