INTRA- AND INTER-SPECIFIC VARIABILITY IN SOME ASPECTS OF THE REPRODUCTION OF ONISCIDISOPODS.

Intra- and inter-specific variability in the reproduction of oniscid isopods is encountered during all stages of the reproductive cycle in the dimensions of the ovaries and oocytes, as well as in the numbers of the latter. It is also noticeable in numbers of marsupial eggs, embryos and mancae, as well as in the numbers of newborn mancae. The lowest intra-specific variability (3.3%) was found in the number of oocytes in Hemilepistus reaumurii, but generally exceeded 10%. Thus, interspecific variability ranges between 15.7 and 19% in ovarian length and between 29 and 40% in width, depending on the species. It ranges over 11.4-43.3% in oocyte diameter. Variability in oocyte numbers ranged from 3.3 to 18.6% depending on the species. The range of variability varied between 8.3 and 23.9% in five different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]