OBSERVATIONS ON AMOEBOID MOTION OF LIVING HAEMOCYTES IN THE WING VEINS OF BLABERUS GIGANTEUS (L.) (ORTHOPTERA: BLATTIDAE)

Abstract

Haemocytes with finely granular cytoplasm moved independently in partly occluded wing veins of B. giganteus by two related but fundamentally distinct methods: (a) typical amoeboid motion that occurred generally on unobstructed vein walls and was characterized by cytoplasmic streaming into amorphous pseudopodia, and (b) atypical amoeboid motion, without visible cytoplasmic streaming, that involved the projection of hyaline ectoplasm into tactile and adhesive filiform or lamellar pseudopodia. By the atypical method the cells became oriented and entered into confined spaces. Speed of movement varied but approximated 5 microns per minute with typical amoeboid motion and 3.5 with the atypical during pronounced cell migration. Haemocytes with hyaline cytoplasm, coarsely granular cytoplasm, or cytoplasm that contained numerous globules moved comparatively little and only by the atypical method.