Abstract
Spodoptera litura was analyzed for its haemocyte types both light and scanning electron microscopically. A total of nine categories of cells were found on the basis of their surface morphologies. The identified cells are the prohaemocyte, plasmatocyte, vermicyte, podocyte, granular haemocyte, oenocytoid, spherulocyte, adipohaemocyte and coagulocyte. The plasmatocyte was seen to assume three shapes-the typical spindle, bean and barrel shape and only the bean-shaped cell has 1-2 pores on its surface. The vermicytes and podocytes differ considerably from plasmatocytes with regard to their surface specializations. The vermicyte exhibits many pores while podocyte, in addition, has a large number of lamellipods and filopods. Among the other cells, the prohaemocytes are very smooth and small, the granular haemocytes are covered with cytoplasmic projections and carry a shallow pit at one of their poles, the oenocytoids have almost negligible processes, the spherulocytes are characterized by a sculptured surface pattern, and the adiopohaemocytes are devoid of any specialization. The outer membrane of coagulocytes has a tendency to undergo disruption. Differential counts of these cells were also conducted from 3rd instar larva to the old pupa and all the types were seen to exist in these studies.
