Mounting of Genitalia in the Silk Moth Bombyx Mori

Description
Genital structures in silk moths are very important for copulation and transferring the gametes. Male genitalia is called the herpes and the female genitalia is called the labius. Herpes is present at the terminal part of the abdomen of the male, and has 2 strong hooks to hold the female labius during copulation. Labius are present at the terminal part of the body which are fleshy with sensory hairs, which help in copulation and transferring the gametes.

Materials
  • Live male and female moths
  • Dissection set
  • Needles
  • Blades
  • Slides
Procedure
  1. Remove the last segment of the abdomen with the help of a blade or needle under the dissection microscope.
  2. Keep the dissected segment in 10% KOH for 5 minutes.
  3. Clean the tissue of the segment.
  4. Observe the labius or herpes under the microscope.
Observation
Both herpes and labius were observed.

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