Contact Chemoreceptors on the Ovipositor of Lucilia Cuprina (Wied.), The Australian Sheep Blowfly.

Abstract

Twenty-two sensilla are located on each of the paired lateral leaflets of the ovipositor of Lucilia cuprina. On each leaflet there are two long tactile hairs, five medium tactile hairs, seven small tactile hairs, one campaniform sensillum, two olfactory pegs and five gustatory hairs. The gustatory hairs are typical double-channelled contact chemoreceptors with single terminal pores. Electro-physiological tip recording demonstrated the presence of at least three chemoreceptor neurones in some of the gustatory hairs. Contact chemoreceptors on the ovipositor may play a part in regulating egg-laying behaviour of the sheep blowfly.