Study on the Ultrastructures of Antennal Sensilla in Helicoverpa armigera

The morphology and structures of antennal sensilla of Helicoverpa armigera are observed under scanning and transmission electron microscopes. Antennae of Helicoverpa armigera are made up of scapus,pedicel and flagellum that the latter consists of 70 - 82 segments. The inner side surface of antenna is cataphracted and most of the antennal sensilla lie on its outer, upper and lower surfaces. Both the antennae of male and female contain five kinds of antennal sensilla, namely, sensillum trichodeum, sensillum basiconicum, sensillum chaeticum, ear-shaped sensillum and sensillum coeloconicum, and the kinds, number and distribution of antennal sensilla of both sexes are similar. There are a large number of serrate cuticular processes on antennal surface, especially on the middle and basic parts of antenna. Sensillum trichodeum and sensillum basiconicum, the main chemical odor receptors on antennae of Helicoverpa armigera, consist of cuticularwall, sheath cells, lymph and dendrites. There are significant differences between the internal structures of the two kinds of sensilla. In sensillum trichodeum, the cuticular-wall is thicker, less lipophilic pore channels and has one or a few dendrites, while in sensillum basiconicum, the cuticular-wall is thinner, abundant lipophilic pore channels and has much more dendrites.