Figure 5.

Spore attachment fibers; n = genetic material. (a) Reticulitermes tibialis, attachment fibers produced inside spore parent cell (arrow). (b) R. tibialis, attachment fibers (arrow) emerge from an extra wall layer, here pulled away. (c) Reticulitermes hesperus, attachment fibers emerge from the thickened wall layer outside the membrane and attach to the chitinous gut wall, C. (d) R. hesperus, attachment fibers, arrow, connect spores to gut inhabitants. (e) R. tibialis, attachment fibers at arrow, spore coat not yet shed. (f) R. hesperus, the correct attachment of spore fibers (arrow) to chitin may precede the establishment of permanent holdfasts as in Fig. 6. (Bars = 1 μm.)