Fig. 9

Ultrastructure of epidermal glands with stalked ducts located on the male ultimate legs of Haplophilus subterraneus as depicted from TEM. Stalked duct and canal cell. a-c Cross sections at various levels of the gland stalk including the extended duct (filled with highly osmiophilic secretion), from distal tip down to the socket cuticle. a Close-up slightly below the terminal pore. b At mid-level of the stalk. c Directly below the base of gland stalk. d-f Subcuticular portion of several tightly aggregated epidermal glands with stalked ducts in longitudinal perspective. Cross sections of tarsus 2. d Secretory cells and a canal cell. The socket cuticle surrounds the duct. e Close-up of the atrium-like structure and the proximate subcuticular aspect of the canal cell surrounded by the cuticle-lined distal part of the duct (magnified sector indicated by dashed box in (d)). Secretory cells probably associated with this gland are visible to the left. Next to the gland, epidermal cells are present. f Close-up of a gland similar to (e), but also showing that the duct continues into the gland stalk. Note also the complex, multilayered socket cuticle. Abbreviations: at, atrium-like structure, cc canal cell, cu cuticle, du duct, epc epidermal cell, gr secretory granule, il inner, fibrous layer, in cuticular intima, mv, microvilli, ml median, lamellated layer, nusc nucleus of a secretory cell, rER swollen cisternae of the rough endoplasmatic reticulum, sc secretory cell, sl extremely electron-dense outer layer (secretion layer), scu socket cuticle