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Kakuda, H., T. Hirooka, T. Mori and S. Shiraishi, 1997. Ultrastructure of the lobular accessory glands in Haemaphysalis longicornis(Acari:Ixodidae). J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 17-24.The lobular accessory glands in female Haemaphysalis longicornis are derived from the epithelial lining of the vestibular vagina. As feeding proceeds, the epithelium increases in volume and becomes glandular. The apical region of the developing epithelium detaches from the vestibular cuticle, and the vestibular sinus is formed. Secretions from the epithelial cells are discharged into the sinal lumen and released into the genital tract through the vestibular cuticle.Well-developed microvilli, intercellular spaces and infoldings of the basal plasma membrane associated with mitochondria found in ovipositing females indicate transporting epithelia. The fact that secretory activity of the glands occurs during oviposition suggests that secretions from the lobular accessory glands are involved in the passing of eggs through the genital tract.

Okura N., K. Koga, T. Mori and S. Shiraishi, 1997. Morphological changes in soft integument during feeding of adult female Haemaphysalis longicornis(Acari: Ixodidae). J. Acarol. Soc.Jpn., 6(1): 33-41.Morphological changes in a stretchable soft integument of adult female Haemaphysalis longicornis during feeding were examined using light and electron microscopy.(1)Semi-thin plastic sections of the integument stained with toluidine blue were quite suitable for distinguishing components of the endocuticle. Using this procedure, it is clearly observed that the inner endocuticle differentiates into the outer endocuticle during the cuticle synthesis phase.(2)Ultrastructural observations of epidermal cells after copulation showed decrease in frequency of exocytosis of the cuticular materials, increase in number of large secretory granules containing these materials, and reduction in the volume of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, copulatory stimuli induce to stop the exocytosis of cuticular materials at first and synthesis of these materials subsequently in the epidermal cells.