Genital appendages

• The reproductive openings and genitalia are found on the ninth abdominal segment in male and on eight and ninth abdominal segments in the female are commonly called genital appendages.
• In females, paired appendages of the eighth and ninth abdominal segment fit together to form an egg-laying mechanism called the ovipositor.
• These appendages consist of four valvifers (basal sclerites with muscle attachments) and six valvulae (apical sclerites which guide the egg as it emerges from the female’s body).
• In males, the genital opening is usually enclosed in a tube-like aedeagus which enters the female’s body during copulation (like a penis).
• The external genitalia may also include other sclerites (e.g. subgenital plate, claspers, styli, etc.) that facilitate mating or egg-laying.