Metamorphic changes in abdominal spines of Forcipomyia nigra pupae (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

Pupae of Forcipomyia nigra biting midges bear double rows of dorsal and lateral spines. Their arrangement corresponds to the distribution of larval mechanosensory setae. They are serrated simple cuticular structures with tubercles but, in contrast to larval secretory mechanoreceptors, they are not innervated and do not exhibit any pores. The ultrastructure of abdominal spines varies among different pupal stages. They are produced by epidermal cells which fill the interior of the spine. In the youngest pupae epidermal cells are tightly packed and adhere to the cuticle. Then, the cells withdraw from the spinal cavity and the beginning of autophagy is observed. The last stage represents abdominal spines without any cellular material and then apoptosis probably proceeds in the withdrawn epidermal cells. Since the pupal spines occupied the same region of the segment as the larval setae, we consider that the same genes are responsible for their formation as for the formation of epidermal cells but that their mechanosensory and secretory function is no longer needed.