Morphology of the Alimentary Canal During the Metamorphosis of Hyalophora cecropia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)1

Abstract

Changes in the anatomy of the alimentary canal are described during the life of the cecropia moth, Hyalophoracecropia (L.), with particular attention given to the transformations from larva to pupa and pupa to adult. During the development of the pupa, the larval foregut and hindgut empty and collapse to form narrow tubes, but the most dramatic change is the deterioration of the mass of cryptonephric tubules and the subsequent development of rectal pads in the adult rectum. In general, the changes from larva to pupa are degenerative. During development of the adult, a crop is formed from the posterior foregut. It is postulated that the crop is a compensatory mechanism for maintaining hemocoel volume when hemolymph is pumped into the wings of the adult shortly after ecdysis.