Figure 3

Attachments and course of pulsatile organ compressor muscles. (A) Cross section through ventral part of abdomen (freshly molted female mostly free of fat tissue, muscle strands therefore clearly visible). Ovipositor pulsatile organ 8: compressor muscle 8 (cm8) extends between coxosternite 8 (cs8) and median flexible cuticle; yellow arrow indicates muscle strands which are attached to the flat cuticular area between the compressible bulges. Ovipositor pulsatile organ 9: compressor muscle 9 (cm9) extends between coxosternite 9 (cs9) and median cuticular invagination which is flexible at the basis and at the innermost part forms a strongly sclerotized structure (asterisk). (B) Volume rendering from microCT data with ventral view of gonapophyses 8 (ga8) bases. The cm8 muscle strands originate laterally at the cs8, fan out extending through the medial sinus (si8m) and are attached at the medial flexible cuticle of ga8 base. Scale bar: (A) 100 μm, (B) 450 μm.