Ovary

The ovary is part of the reproductive system of females. In insects the ovaries contain a number of follicles (which are often sac or tube-like) that contain developing eggs. Insects often lay many eggs at the same time in cluster.

For example, it's not uncommon for blowflies to lay 200 eggs in one batch and mosquitoes often produce floating rafts of 100 or more eggs. In other species, such as tsetse flies, only one egg is produced at a time and this hatches inside the female.

Related terms

• Adenotrophic viviparity
• Aedeagus
• Egg
• Fecundity
• Ootheca
• Ovipositor
• Spermatophore

Related groups of terms

• Invertebrate body structure

Related pages on this web site

• Insect body structure

See other words beginning with O