Oogenesis and the female reproductive system

Abstract

Insect reproduction results from a succession of interdependent steps which are often quite different in nature and take place at various stages of the insect life cycle. The main reproductive events in females are sex determination, gonial mitoses and meioses, differentiation of the 2reproductive organs, previtellogenesis and vitellogenesis, accessory gland functioning, sexual behavior, mating, ovulation, and oviposition. It is the function of the female reproductive tract to produce the eggs and to deposit them at an appropriate time and in an appropriate place. In addition, the female reproductive tract must receive the spermatozoa from the male and transport them to the spermatheca where they are stored until they are used to fertilize the eggs as they are oviposited.