Identification of hemocytes in sugar beet weevil, Lixus incanescens (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

The role of blood cells as the main components of the physiological defense of insects has been reported. Blood cells are the first factors of the circulatory system that participate in dealing with all kinds of stress and foreign factors. In the present study, four types of blood cells were identified in the hemolymph of the sugar beet weevil Lixus incanescens, which include prohemocytes, granulocytes, plasmatocytes and oenocytoids. Plasmotocytes were the largest hemocytes in terms of size, and the abundance of granulocytes and plasmotocytes in third (70 %) and fourth instar larvae (more 75 %) was higher than other cells. These findings are important as the first step in immunological studies of this insect.

Keywords

• hemocytes
• granulocyte
• plasmatocytes
• insect immunology,light microscopy
• insect defense system