Tuesday, 16 November 2004
D0237

Antennal morphology of Caenocholax fenyesi (Strepsiptera: Myrmecolacidae) based on scanning electron microscopy

Jerry L. Cook, bio_jlc@shsu.edu and Dawn P. Derr, stddpd11@shsu.edu. Sam Houston State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Box 2116, Huntsville, TX

Male strepsipterans have an adult life that lasts only a few hours, and in order to successfully reproduce they must locate a mate that remains an endoparasite. The method for mate searching is presumed to be linked to pheromones produced by the female, which extends a cephalothorax that includes a brood canal to the exterior of its host. Receptors for these pheromones are thought to be found primarily on the antennae of the free-living male. However, there has been little study on the structure of the antennae of the male strepsipteran and no documentation of the sensilla type present. Our study documents the receptor types found on Caenocholax fenyesi using a scanning electron microscope. We found two types of sense organs, sensilla chaetica and sensilla coeloconica. Sensilla chaetica are thought to be primarily tactile, but are sometimes chemoreceptors. They were sparsely found on the distal parts of antennal segments three and four. Sensilla coeloconica are commonly chemoreceptors and were abundant on segments three through seven, as well as on the flabellum of segment three. The morphology of these sensilla are documented with SEM photomicrographs.


Species 1: Strepsiptera Myrmecolacidae Caenocholax fenyesi
Keywords: sensilla, morphology

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