INTRODUCTORY ENTOMOLOGY

I. II. Phylum Arthropoda Insect morphology : Body wall- structure Body divisions: Head structure and its appendages

Subject Expert : Dr. Ashok Sharma

Unit 1. In this unit we shall learn about introduction to phylum Arthropoda and allied classes and about insect morphology which will includes body wall structure and functions Body divisions : head (structure and its appendages) Modification of antennae Different types of mouth parts

General introduction : Phylum Arthropoda

Insects are fascinating creatures of the world and grouped under phylum Arthropoda (Arthro-jointed, poda-foot). Characters : Arthropoda 1. Segmented body 2. Segments grouped into 2 or 3 regions (tagma) known as Tagmosis. Segments fused to form head, thorax and abdomen. 3. Renewable chitinous exoskeleton 4. Grow by molting. 5. Bilateral symmetrical body. 6. Body cavity (haemocoel) filled with blood. 7. Tubular alimentary canal with mouth and anus at anterior and posterior ends. 8. Dorsal heart with valve like ostia. 9. Dorsal brain with ventral nerve cord. 10. Paired, segmented appendages.

Kaestnfer (1968) classified living arthropods as follows :

Phylum Arthropoda Subphylum Chelicerata Class 1. Merostomata 2. Arachnida 3. Pycnogonida (sea spiders) Subphylum Mandibulata Class 1. Crustacea (crustaceans) 2. Chilopoda (centipedes) 3. Diplopoda (millipedes) 4. Pauropoda (pauropods) 5. Symphyla (greenhouse centipedes) 6. Insecta (insects)

Important classes of phylum Arthropoda

Diplopoda : (Diplo two, poda legs) 1. Cylindrical body with number of body segments. 2. Live in humid dark places under stones or beneath or within rotting logs and avoid light. 3. Each segment carries two pairs of legs and two pairs of spiracles. 4. Antennae short. 5. Gonads open behind the 2nd pairs of legs. Example : Thyroglutus malayus

Chilopoda (chila margin, poda foot) 1. Chilopoda hundred legged worms 2. Flattened worm like creatures 3. Distinct head bearing two antennae 4. Legs - first pair modified posion claws. Example : Scolopendra morisitans

Crustacea (crusta shell)

Two distinct regions Cephalothorax and abdomen. Two pairs of antennae. At least five pairs of legs. They breathe by means of gills, except the small forms which breathe through body wall. 5. Excretory organs Coelomoducts (green glands or shell glands) Example : Lobsters, shrimps, and crabs 1. 2. 3. 4.

Lobsters

Shrimps

Crabs

Arachnida 1. Body : Cephalothorax and abdomen. 2. Antennae and compound eyes absent 3. Well developed palpi on the head. 4. Chelicerae present. 5. Legs : four pairs 6. Excretory organs : Malpighian tubules. 7. Respiration : Branchiae, lung books, or tracheae or spiracles. Example : Scorpions, spiders, ticks and mites

Scorpion

Spider

Tick

Mite

Hexapoda or Insecta
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Body : Head, thorax and abdomen. Head : one pair antennae , one pair compound eyes present Thorax : Three pairs of legs, two pairs of wings Respiration : Trachea Metamorphosis Either incomplete or complete Exoskeleton - Cuticle which plays important role for survival.

Body wall (Integument or Exoskeleton)

External covering of the body, ectodermal in origin Rigid, flexible, lighter, stronger and variously modified to suit different modes of life Body wall - Epidermis, cuticle and basement membrane.

Epidermis: Middle unicellular layer, rest on basement membrane Functions1. Secrete greater part of cuticle 2. Produce moulting fluid 3. Digestion and absorption of old cuticle 4. Wound repairing 5. Gives surface look

Cuticle
It is outermost thick layer of integument secreted by epidermis. Three sub layers 1. Endocuticle: Innermost and thickest layer. Made up of chitin and arthropodin. Colourless, soft and flexible. 2. Exocuticle: Outer layer, much thicker with the composition of chitin and sclerotin. Rigid and dark in colour. Endocuticle and exocuticle put together called procuticle 3. Epicuticle: Thin outermost layer, 1-4 in thickness. Chitin absent. Consist of following layers. Inner epicuticle: Contains wax filaments. Outer epicuticle: Makes contact with cuticulin. Cuticulin : Non chitinous polymerised lipoprotein layer. Wax layer: contains closely packed wax molecules which prevents desiccation. Cement layer: Outer most layer formed by lipid and tanned protein. Protects wax layer.

Composition of cuticle 1. Chitin: Main constituent of cuticle, water insoluble but soluble in dilute acids, alkalies and organic solvents. 2. Arthropodin: Soft, untanned water soluble protein present in endocuticle. 3. Sclerotin: Tanned protein, water insoluble and present in exocuticle. 4. Resilin: Elastic protein responsible for the flexibility of wing sclerites, leg joints etc.

Basement membrane Basal part of the body wall formed from degenerated epidermal cells and appear as non-living amorphous (shapeless) granular layer of integument.

Body divisions
Head
Anterior region of the body, hard and highly sclerotized compact structure. Composed of six segments pre-antennary, antennary, inter-calary, mandibulary, maxillary and labial segments. Attached to the thorax through neck or cervix. Sutures - Linear invaginations of the exoskeleton between two sclerites. Sclerite - A hardened integumentary plate surrounded by membranous areas or sutures. Areas and sutures of head 1. Frons: Facial area below the vertex and above clypeus. 2. Vertex: Top portion of the head behind the frons or area between compound eyes. 3. Clypeus: Cranial area below the frons to which labrum is attached. 4. Gena: Lateral wall of head situated below and behind the compound eyes. 5. Occiput : Inverted U shaped structure representing the area between the epicranium and post occiput. 6. Epicranial suture : Inverted `Y' shaped, medially on the top of head, a median suture (coronal suture) and lateral sutures (frontal suture).

7.

Post occiput : Extreme posterior part of the head, remains before the neck region. 8. Post genae Area directly posterior to the eyes or area of cranium posterior to the genae. 9. Compound eyes Paired structures situated in dorso-lateral position to head capsule, each eye surrounded by a narrow ring like ocular sclerite. 10. Ocelli Located in between the compound eyes and generally three in number, one of which is generally situated on the frons. 11. Antennae Situated in antennal socket between the compound eyes. Each antennal socket is surrounded by a narrow ring like antennal sclerite.

Front view of head

Positions of insect head

Hypognathous: Long axis of the head is vertical and mouth parts projecting downwards (ventrally). Example - Grasshopper, cockroach

Prognathous: Long axis of the head is horizontal and mouth parts projecting forwards. Example - Beetle Opisthognathous: Long axis of the head is vertical and mouth parts are posterioryl directed, i.e. the elongate proboscis slopes backwards between the front legs. Example - Bug

Insect antenna (Fellers)

Paired, highly mobile and segmented, located between or behind the compound eyes Well developed in adults and poorly developed in immature stages.

Parts of antenna 1. Scape 2. Pedicel 3. Flagellum

Functions 1. Detect chemicals 2. Perceives smell, humidity changes, variation in temperature, vibration, wind velocity, danger and direction. 3. Hearing in mosquitoes and communication in ants. 4. Clasp the mate (e.g. Flea) and grasp the prey.

Types/modifications of antenna
1. 2. 3. Filiform (thread like) Segments more or less uniform from base to apex and never ends with bristle. Example Grasshopper Setaceous (whip/bristle like) - Segments gradually decrease in size from base to apex. Example Cockroach Moniliform (string of beads like) Segments round, oval, well developed constrictions between segments, appearing like a string of beads. Example Termites

4.
5.

Pectinate (comb like) - Segments possess lateral processes on one side giving comb like appearance. Example Female arctid moth
Bipectinate (double comb) - Segments bear lateral processes on either side, giving double comb like appearance. Example Mulberry silk moth. Serrate (saw like) - Segments of flagellum are triangular with projecting points on one side giving saw like appearance. Example Pulse beetle

6.

7.

Clavate (club shaped) - Segments gradually increase in diameter from base to tip ending in a club like apical part. Example Butterflies Capitate (knob shaped) - Segments gradually increase in diameter from base to apex and the terminal 3-5 segments suddenly enlarge to form a knob like structure. Example Red flour Beetle Geniculate (elbowed) - The first segment (scape) is greatly elongated and flagellum always makes an angle with it. Example Ants, honey bees

8.

9.

10. Lamellate (plate like) - The terminal segments expand to one side and form broad plate or leaf like structure. Example Scarabaeid beetle 11. Flabellate (feather like) - Projections of some upper segments become long and form a feather like structure called flabella. Example stylopids

12. Plumose (brush like with dense hairs) - Whorls of

hairs arise from each joint of the segment. Each

whorl contains number of hairs. Example Male mosquito

13. Pilose (brush like with sparse hairs) - Looks like a

plumose but each whorl contains less number of hairs. Example Female mosquito 14. Aristate - Small, microscopic, three segmented. 3rd segment enlarged and bears a bristle called arista on its dorsal side. Example House fly 15. Stylate - Antennae small, 3-4 segmented. Terminal segment elongate into a bristle like structure called style. Example Robber fly

Insect mouthparts

Biting and chewing type

Primitive type and found in Orthoptera, Isoptera and Coleoptera, larvae of Lepidoptera and Neuroptera etc. Labrum (Upper lip) - Flap like, bilobed, attached to the clypeus, movable. Covers the mouth cavity, helps to pull the food into mouth. It holds the food in position so that mandibles can act on it. Labrum-epipharynx - Frequently membranous and continuous with the dorsal wall of pharnyx. It is an organ of taste. Mandibles - Articulate with cranium at two points, heavily sclerotised, toothed on their inner border. Two types of teeth - incisor or cutting teeth and molar or grinding teeth. They act transversely to bite and grind the food into small fragments. Maxillae - Paired homologous structures with basal triangular cardo, middle rectangular stipes and the lateral palpifer bearing maxillary palpi and lobe like inner lacinia and outer galea. Hypopharynx - Tongue like structure situated between labrum and labium and ducts of salivary glands open on or near its base. Labium /lower lip Close mouth cavity from below or behind, divided in to proximal prementum. central mentum and distal submentum. Near the base of pre mentum, on either side lobe like palpiger is present which bears labial palps. Prementum has four terminal lobes. The median pair is glossae and outer paraglossae together called ligula that function mainly as gustatory sense organs.

Biting and chewing type mouth parts

Piercing and sucking

They are mainly adopted for piercing the tissues and sucking either plant sap or the nectar or blood from the host. Labium - Modified into rostrum/beak like structure. It acts as a pouch for protecting the mandibular and maxillary stylets. Mandibles and maxillae are modified in to sharp needle like stylets. Mandibular stylets form the outer pair and possess serrated margins at their tip. Maxillary stylets forms the inner pair having smooth curved tips and combine together enclosing a food channel. The food channel is divided into an upper cibarium and lower salivarium with the help of the grooves present inside the maxillary stylets. Salivarium is used for releasing the saliva and cibarium is used for sucking the sap. Hypopharynx - modified into a pharyngeal pump and is situated at the tip of the food channel. Labrum - modified into a small flap like structure at the base of rostrum. Insects with these type of mouthparts pierce the tissues with the mandibular stylets and suck the contents (sap/ blood / nectar) through cibarium with the action of pharyngeal and cibarial muscles.

Examples - bugs, mosquitoes

Mosquito type

Bug type

Chewing and lapping type

Mouthparts modified for collecting nectar and the pollen. Below the labrum is fleshly epipharynx, which is an organ of taste. Mandibles - Smooth, situated on either side of the labrum, used in molding wax and making the honeycomb. Labium - has paraglossa and glossa or tongue, with long labial palpi. The glossa is long and at its tips is a small Flabellum or labellum. The glossa is used for gathering honey. It is an organ of taste and small. Maxillae and labial palps form a tube enclosing the glossa, which moves up and down to collect nectar. Labrum and mandibles are of biting type where as maxillae, labium and hypopharynx combine together to form a sucking proboscis.

Sponging or muscoid type

Proboscis differentiated into three parts: 1. Basal part - Rostrum 2. Middle Haustellum 3. Distal -a pair of labella Labellum is a sponge like structure. It is traversed by a number of narrow transverse channels called pseudotrachea which converge at one point in the centre of the labellum. From this point, the food enters in to food channel which is formed by the labrum- epipharynx and hypopharynx. Mandibles are absent (reduced) maxillary palpi are 1-3 segmented. During feeding, the proboscis is pressed over the food material. The pseudo trachea gets filled with the food material by the capillary action and is sucked up from the central point in to the oesophagus.

Siphoning type

Specially modified for taking nectar from the flowers. Galea of maxilla form into a slender, hollow, tubular structure which remains as an elongated coiled proboscis underneath the head during non feeding. Mandibles totally absent. Labrum and maxilla palpi reduced. Labium modified in to a small basal plate possessing three segmented labial palpi. Food channel - formed by the fusion of both the galea .

Summary
Phylum Arthropoda is divided into two sub phylum : Chelicerata and Mandibulata and nine classes : Merostomata, Arachnida, Pycnogonida, Crustacea, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Pauropoda, Symphyla and Insecta . Class Insecta contain more than 70 % of the living organism. Body wall is divided into - Cuticle, epidermis and basement membrane. Cuticle is composed of chitin, protein (arthropodin, sclerotin and resilin) Epidermis middle unicellular layer, secrete greater part of cuticle, moulting fluid and wound repairing. Basement membrane basal part of the body wall. Head is anterior region of the body and composed of six segments. Positions of insect head are hypognathous, prognathous and opisthognathous. Insect antenna is paired, highly mobile, segmented and modified.

 Mouth parts These are the organs primarily concerned with the uptake of food. Typical mouth parts consists of the following parts 1. Labrum 2. Mandible 3. Maxillae 4. Labium 5. Hypopharynx Types of mouth parts 1. Biting and chewing type 2. Piercing and sucking 3. Chewing and lapping type 4. Sponging or muscoid type 5. Siphoning type