Tribolium castaneum : Morphology of "Aureate" Revealed by the Scanning Electron Microscope

Abstract

Counts of setae in "aureate" (au), spontaneous autosomal recessive mutation of good penetrance and viability, show that the au gene causes a three-fold increase in setation over the normal in the visible abdominal sternites but not in the membranous wings of the tenebrionid flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Micrographs taken with the scanning electron microscope demonstrate that the au gene increases setation throughout the body.