External morphology of eggs of Macronemurus bilineatus and Megistopus flavicornis (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae): a scanning electron microscopy study

Abstract

The eggs of Megistopus flavicornis (Rossi, 1790) and Macronemurus bilineatus Brauer, 1868 were studied by light and scanning electron microscope and are described in detail in this paper. Both species have roughly elongate and cylindrical eggs with rounded ends and have 2 flattened disc-like micropylar processes at the opposite poles. The chorionic surface is tuberculated and differs between the 2 species. The eggs of M. flavicornis additionally have some rows containing polygonal pattern of exochorion near the micropyles. Moreover, a number of morphological differences between the 2 species are noted.