The development of a collagenous connective tissue in the locust, Locusta migratoria

The ejaculatory duct of adult male locusts is surrounded by a thick layer of collagenous tissue. It starts to develop during the second instar when a group of cells come to lie adjacent to the basal regions of the epidermal cells which form the duct. From the fourth instar onwards, connective tissue is present between these cells. The matrix contains many collagen fibrils, some of which are very large and of irregular cross section. The banding periodicity is about 625 Å. The cells differentiate into typical fibroblasts with highly dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum and small Golgi complexes. In the sexually mature adult, the cells are smaller and appear less active.