The Histology of the Nervous System of anInsect Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera): I. The Peripheral Nervous System

While studying the osmium/ethyl gallate method of fixation and staining (Wigglesworth, 1957) a number of incidental observations were made on the nervous system of Rhodnius. This staining method reveals particularly those structures most rich in lipids, the cell membranes, fat droplets, mitochondria, and ‘Golgi element’, giving a picture which closely resembles that seen with the electron microscope. This appearance is so different from that shown by standard methods of staining, that it seemed worth while to re-investigate the histology of the nervous system of the insect by its use. That should provide a useful background to the electron microscope studies being made at the present time. In this paper, the first of three which are projected, certain parts of the peripheral nervous system are described.