Adenotrophic viviparity

Viviparity means giving birth to live young, as opposed to laying eggs.

There are several forms of viviparity in insects but Adenotrophic viviparity only occurs in certain true flies (Order Diptera) such as tsetse flies (genus Glossina).

Insects that exhibit adenotrophic viviparity have eggs that hatch within the female insect. The larvae are then nourished inside the female by special milk glands. The larvae remain in the female until mature, at this point they are laid and immediately pupate.

A photograph of a gravid female tsetse fly.
Photograph by Geoffrey M. Attardo licensed under Creative Commons.

Related terms

• Ovary
• Oviparity
• Parthenogenesis
• Viviparity

Related groups of terms

• General biology
• Insect life cycles

Related pages on this web site

• Insect life cycles
• True flies - Order Diptera

See other words beginning with A