Histomorphology of the Adult Digestive Tract of Capnodis tenebrionis (L. 1758) (Coleoptera, Buprestidae).

The morphological and histological structures of the digestive tracts of adult males and females of Capnodis tenebrionis (L. 1758) are described using stereo microscopy, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. C. tenebrionis is an economically important species and not previously studied. The digestive tract of C. tenebrionis is morphologically and histologically divided into three main parts, including foregut, midgut, and hindgut. The foregut begins at the mouth followed by the short pharynx and esophagus, crop and proventriculus. Histologically, the foregut showed outer circular and inner longitudinal muscle layers followed by a basement membrane and epithelium. The innermost layer is intima. The inner surface of the crop shows several spine-like structures. There are clustered teeth on the inner surface of the proventriculus. The midgut consists of outer muscularis and inner columnar epithelium with a peritrophic membrane surrounding gut content. The outer surface of the midgut is covered with regularly spaced rounded structures called regenerative crypts. The Malpighian tubule shows a single layer of cuboidal epithelium. The hindgut, the last part of the digestive system, initiates with pylorus followed by ileum, colon, and rectum and ends exteriorly with the anus.