CELLULAR IMMUNE SYSTEM OF SURGICAL MAGGOTS LUCILIA SERICATA
(DIPTERA, CALLIPHORIDAE)
T.V. Kind
Department of Entomology, St. Petersburg State University;
e-mail: tatiana.kind@mail.ru
In the hemolymph of surgical maggots Lucilia sericata seven types of hemocytes were revealed. These are
prohemocytes, stable and unstable hyaline cells, thrombocytoids, spindle cells, larval plasmatocytes and plasmatocytes
I—IV, which represent sequential stages of one cell line differentiation. In contrast to Calliphora hyaline
cells, this type of hemocytes in cropemptying larvae of Lucilia is elongated or vermiform in shape. Hyaline
cells may be transformed to both prothrombocytoids and unstable prophenoloxydase-producing cells. Appearance
and differentiation of each hemocyte type is rigidly linked with a definite stage of development. In
cellular defense the main role play juvenile plasmatocytes, plasmatocytes II and III and trombocytoides. Juvenile
plasmatocytes are the most active ones. After charcoal particles injection they were instantly surrounded by
the thick envelope of adhered alien particles and form uniform morules aggregations or conglomerates together
with thrombocytoidal agglutinates. Plasmatocytes II and III during the early stages of differentiation may be involved
in adhesion and phagocytosis of alien particles and during the last stages in the engulfing of apoptose
desintegrated tissues. Thus the cellular defense reaction is assisted by 4 hemocyte types — prophenoloxydase-
unstable hyaline cells, thrombocytoids, juvenile plasmatocytes and plasmatocytes I—IV.
Key words: Lucilia sericata, defense reaction, hemocytes, morules, phagocytosis, incapsulation
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