<i>In vivo</i> phagocytosis of fluorescent latex beads and fluorescent <i>E. coli</i> 24 h post-injection in LL01 aphids.

<p>(A–D) Confocal images of both granulocytes (A and B) and plasmatocytes (C and D) having ingested numerous latex beads (yellow-red fluorescence). (E) Merger of DIC and fluorescent micrographs showing an aggregate of hemocytes actively phagocytizing beads (red fluorescence). (F) Melanization of ingested latex beads (brown staining). (G–H) Granulocytes (in G) and plasmatocytes (in H) containing numerous red fluorescent bacteria (F-actin in green); Scale bar: 10 µm (A–H). (I–J) TEM micrographs showing uptake and degradation of ingested bacteria. (I) <i>E. coli</i> bacteria inside the cytoplasm of a granulocyte (arrowheads: bacteria at different degrees of degradation). (J) Granulocyte phagocytizing a bacterium in a zipper-like manner (<i>P1</i> arrow). Phagolysosome-like structures are seen that contain a single bacterium (magnified in box) or several bacteria in an electron-dense matrix (asterisk). See also filopodial extensions (arrowhead). Scale bar: 5 µm (I–J) and 0.5 µm (magnifications box in (J)).