ovipositor

An ovipositor is a reproductive organ found in many female animals, especially insects, that enables the laying of eggs. It is typically located at the end of the abdomen and can be a simple tube or a more complex assembly of parts. The ovipositor’s primary function is to deposit eggs in a suitable site, such as soil, plant tissue, wood, or the bodies of other organisms, depending on the species.

In insects, the ovipositor is usually formed from specialized appendages that develop from the final abdominal segments. The parts may include structures called gonapophyses and gonostyles, and the overall arrangement can range from a slender external tube to a multi-part apparatus with movable components. In some species the ovipositor is clearly visible outside the abdomen, while in others it is partly embedded and used to guide eggs to the laying site.

Functionally, ovipositors are diverse in their use. They enable females to place eggs directly into substrates or hosts, or to insert eggs into crevices, plant tissues, or insect hosts. Parasitoid wasps, for example, use elongated ovipositors to reach hosts inside plant material or other substrates. In butterflies and moths, the ovipositor typically assists in depositing eggs on appropriate host plants.

Evolutionarily, the ovipositor can be highly specialized. In many Hymenoptera, the ovipositor has been modified into a sting for defense or predation, while in other groups the ovipositor remains primarily a reproductive tool for egg deposition.