Contribution to the study of the fine structure of the egg in the genus Pseudomallada Tsukaguchi,1995 (Neuropt. Chrysopidae)

Oviposition and egg morphology in Neuroptera have been the subject of studies which for the majority of the families have contributed significantly to the growth of knowledge on these aspects of their reproductive biology. Chrysopidae, green lacewings, is one of the richest Neuroptera families and also one of the most studied, due to the bio-ecological features of some species which have long aroused applied interest (biological control). Thus chrysopids have been the subject of much research also as regards the aspects mentioned above. The advent of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) has also allowed to considerably increase knowledge of the external morphology of the egg of green lacewings. Progressive improvements to the SEM, as well the perfecting of techniques of examining samples, now result in images of ever better quality. To date, observations are available for various genera and many dozens of green lacewing species; a relatively large number of them belong to the genus Pseudomallada Tsukaguchi, 1995 (Chrysopinae). In Europe this genus includes about two dozen taxa of specific or subspecific rank, some of which are difficult to discriminate and problematic as regards their systematic level: research into ootaxonomy by SEM could at least potentially help to resolve some uncertainties. The present preliminary work, based mainly on micrographs obtained using SEM, deals with the external morphology of the egg of some European species of Pseudomallada. The fine structure of the chorion surface, micropylar area, length of the stalk, and egg distribution during oviposition can be all useful elements for the above purpose. These observations are compared with the data already given in the literature and deserve to be extended, for this as well as other genera, to the largest possible number of taxa of speciesgroup and also to more populations of each species from different geographic areas within the respective areal, to verify similarities or differences.