Morphology and Histology of the Alimentary Canal of Epiphaneus malachiticus Boheman, 1842 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

Abstract

This study is aimed at describing the morphological and histological structures of the alimentary canal in the adults of Epiphaneus malachiticus Boheman, 1842 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a poorly investigated species of Curculionidae. The alimentary canal of adult E. malachiticus was isolated, processed, and analyzed using stereo microscope, light microscope, and scanning electron microscope. The alimentary canal of E. malachiticus is morphologically and histologically divided into foregut, midgut, hindgut, and tubular structure. The foregut has pharynx, esophagus, crop which has histological layers like lumen, intimal layer, epithelium, and outer muscles. The midgut is divided into the anterior midgut and posterior midgut. The former is wide; the diameter of the latter is twothirds of that of the former. Their wall is surrounded with muscularis externa and inner columnar epithelium. The hindgut has pylorus, ileum, colon, and rectum with such histological layers as lumen, intima, epithelium, and muscles. The Malpighian tubules are long and connected to the pylorus, they have a single layer of cuboidal epithelium. The salivary glands are absent in this species.