ABSTRACT
Male fruit flies of the economically important family Tephritidae have long been known to release a sex pheromone. Among four different genera of this family, four different male-specific glands have been described: pleural gland, salivary gland, anal gland and rectal gland. The distal portion of the colon contains a strong muscular rectal valve for luminal occlusion; the intestinal canal then enlarges into a chamber provided with four rectal papillae projecting into the lumen of the anterior rectum, called the rectal ampulla. The proximal portion of the ampulla is lined by a single layer of squamous epithelial cells; distally the epithelial cells of the lining become irregular in shape, increase in number and are thrown into numerous folds which project into the lumen of the glands. Rectal structures of Anastrepha males are similar to those of Bactrocera except for the absence of a rectal diverticulum.
