Changes in body weight and reproductive organs of Tingis ampliata H.-S. (Heteroptera: Tingidae)

Summary

	(1) In Tingis ampliata, adult emergence in autumn is followed by marked increase in ovarian size (×3) and live weight (90.4% of original) during prehibernation feeding from August to September. There was reduction of body weight and fat during productive diapause in winter, during which ovaries became smaller and shrunken.
	(2) Onset of ovarian maturation was marked by initiation of germarial division in mid-March. Oocyte proliferation started about early April before post-hibernation emergence in spring and rate of ovarian maturation varied annually according to temperature but maturation was usually complete by end of May.
	(3) On the basis of the seasonal morpho-functional changes of gonads four distinct stages in ovarian development and oviposition were recognized in Tingis (1) immature in diapause or prediapause (2) onset of maturation (3) mature but not laying and (4) laying.
	(4) From mid-April to post-hibernation emergence in early May and between emergence and start of oviposition, weights of females increased with ovarian size and maturation. Increase from 19. iv. to 9. v. 1965 was 1.35–1.88 mg (39%) and mean ovarian size, 0.52 to 0·91 mm3 (75%) to a peak of 1.9 mg and 1.27 mm3 on 29 May. Body weight fluctuated and decreased progressively with ovarian size during oviposition period of June to July.
	(5) Testes, vesiculae seminales and accessory glands of male Tingis are small and whitish at emergence becoming larger with accumulation of secretions and age of bugs in autumn. Spermatogenesis is slowed down but not completely inhibited during winter. Proportion of bugs with turgid accessory glands and seminal vesicles decreased progressively from the main copulatory period (April–May) to 30 June when reproductives of bugs were in a shrunken and twisted state without spermatic fluids.
	(6) The seasonal pattern of change in live weight was similar in the two sexes but females were consistently heavier than males.
	(7) Seasonal fluctuations in fat colour and content were very closely associated with changes in body weight and reproductive organs.
	(8) Numbers of eggs and oocytes are positively correlated with weight of females at post-hibernation emergence.