Morphostructural analysis of the male reproductive system and DNA barcoding in Balclutha brevis Lindberg 1954 (Homoptera, Cicadellidae)

Balclutha brevis Lindberg 1954 is an allochthonous leafhopper infesting an invasive grass, Pennisetumsetaceum, in Sicily and in mainland Europe; therefore, this species could compete with populations ofnative species, thus contributing to the loss of biodiversity. Considering the ecological implications ofB. brevis, investigations on all its biological aspects represent, therefore, a premise for further studies inapplied sciences. Based on the lacking ultrastructural data about the reproductive systems of the Auchenorrhyncha,we carried out morphostructural investigations on the male reproductive system of B. brevis.Further, a first report of DNA barcoding analysis (amplification and sequencing of Cytochrome OxidaseI gene) has also been performed to characterize B. brevis compared to other congeneric species. From amorphological point of view, the male reproductive system of B. brevis has an organization comparableto the general anatomical features of most of the Auchenorrhyncha species; however, comparing ourdata with those concerning the different groups of Cicadomorpha, some considerations are discussed. Asfor the histological and ultrastructural investigations, our results show a secretory activity of the variousexamined structures, mainly in the lateral ejaculatory ducts and in the accessory glands. The latter, inparticular, show morphostructural differences comparing the distal tract to the proximal one; moreover,the histochemical techniques showed the possible presence of a lipid component in the peculiar cytoplasmicgranules found in the gland cells. The significance of these findings in the accessory glands isdiscussed. Finally, the ultrastructural features found in the seminal vesicles are different from those ofthe lateral ejaculatory ducts and are indicative of the different roles played by these structures in theorganization of the spermatozoa bundles.