[HELICONIUS] dissecting and sexing pupae?

[Jim Mallet]

There was a previous correspondence about sexing pupae. See 
http://www.mailinglists.ucl.ac.uk/pipermail/heliconius/2010-April/000077.html

The testes in Heliconius if I remember rightly are fused into a single 
blob and bright red, and they're usually visible in the abdomen of 
dissected lepidopterous larvae as well as pupae (though I've never 
checked in Heliconius).

However, you should be able to sex the pupae externally with 100% 
accuracy with a handlens! It just takes some practice with your 
particular species. Much better if you don't want to mangle the specimen!

See: 
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/taxome/jim/Mim2/heliconius_pupa_sex_difference.html

jim

On 10/05/2013 09:18, Richard Merrill wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I was wondering whether anyone had any experience of sexing pupae by 
> dissecting them (and if so is it possible to do this for early and 
> late stage pupae).
>
> I know it is meant to be possible from external morphology, and I've 
> done this before but only with ~50% accuracy!
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Richard
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Dr. Richard Merrill
> Junior Research Fellow, King's College
> Varley-Gradwell Travelling Fellow, OUMNH
> Department of Zoology | University of Cambridge
>
> Tel: (+44)(0)1223  336644
> Mob: (+44)(0)7590 984754
> Email: r.merrill at zoo.cam.ac.uk <mailto:r.merrill at zoo.cam.ac.uk>
> Web: http://heliconius.zoo.cam.ac.uk/2009/richard-merrill/
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-- 
James Mallet
OEB Dept, Harvard University
& Professor of Biological Diversity,
      University College London
16 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
www.ucl.ac.uk/taxome/jim

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