Abstract
Tachinidae is a large family of flies, but studies on its antennal morphology and ultrastructure are still scarce. Thus, the male and female antennae of Neoeuantha aucta (Wiedmann) were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The three antennal segments are densely covered with microtrichia, with postpedicel being the one that carries the greatest diversity of sensilla. In total, eight types of sensillar structures were observed: trichoid, basiconic (three subtypes), coeloconic, chaetic, setiferous plaques, and pedicellar button. The s. trichoid and s. basiconic have a porous wall, indicating a chemoreceptor function. A central pore was found in the pedicellar button, possibly with mechanoreceptor and chemoreceptor function. Another highlight is the numerous sensory pits covered by microtrichia in the postpedicel, housing only one type of sensilla each. Our results were compared with those available for Tachinidae and other families of dipterans, mainly those of Calyptratae, and provide the basis for future investigations in sensory functions related to the behavior of parasitoid flies, as well as for studies of comparative morphology.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AbouZied E (2008) Ultrastructure of the sensory organs of male Exorista sp. (Diptera: Tachinidae) collected from Al-Baha. Ksa Bull Ent Soc Egypt 85:13–28
Altner H, Loftus R (1985) Ultrastructure and function of insect thermo- and hygroreceptors. Ann Rev Entomol 30:273–295. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.en.30.010185.001421
Been T, Schomaker H, Thomas G (1988) Olfactory sensilla on the antenna and maxillary palp of the sheep head fly, Hydrotaea irritans (Fallen) (Diptera: Muscidae). Int J Insect Morphol Embryol 17(2):121–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7322(88)90006-2
Chapman RF, Chapman RF (1998) The insects: structure and function. Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom
Chen L, Fadamiro H (2008) Antennal sensilla of the decapitating phorid fly, Pseudacteon tricuspis (Diptera: Phoridae). Micron 39:517–525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2007.08.002
Clyne P, Grant A, O’connell R, Carlson J (1997) Odorant response of individual sensilla on the Drosophila antenna. Invert Neurosci 3:127–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02480367
Cumming JM, Wood DM (2017) Adult morphology and terminology. In: Kirk-Spriggs AH, Sinclair BJ (eds) Manual of Afrotropical Diptera. South African National Biodiversity Institute Graphics & Editing, Pretoria, pp 89–133
de Paula LCB, Dios RDVP, Gudin FM, De Santis MD, Alvarez-Garcia DM, Antunes Júnior M, Freire BV, Marques FPL, Lahr DJG, Nihei SS (2024) Phylogenomic analysis of Tachinidae (Diptera: Calyptratae: Oestroidea): a transcriptomic approach to understanding the subfamily relationships. Cladistics 40:64–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12562
Dethier VG (1952) The relation between olfactory response and receptor population in the blowfly. Biol Bull 102(2):111–117. https://doi.org/10.2307/1538699
Fernandes FF, Linardi PM, Chiarini-Garcia H (2002) Morphology of the antenna of Dermatobia hominis (Diptera: Cuterebridae) based on scanning electron microscopy. J Med Entomol 39:36–43. https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585-39.1.36
Giangiuliani G, Lucchi A, Vinson S, Bin F (1994) External anatomy of adult antennal sensilla of the fly, Trichopoda pennipes F (Diptera: Tachinidae). Int J Insect Morphol Embryol 23(2):105–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7322(94)90004-3
Greenberg B, Ash N (1972) Setiferous plaques on antennal pedicels of muscoid Diptera: appearance in various species and tests of function. Ann Entomol Soc Am 65:1340–1346. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/65.6.1340
Grenier S (1988) Applied biological control with tachinid flies (Diptera, Tachinidae): a review. Anz Schädlingskd Pfl Umwelt 61(3):49–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01906254
Keil T (1997) Comparative morphogenesis of sensilla: a review. Int J Insect Morphol Embryol 26:151–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7322(97)00017-2
Li S, Zhang W, Wang X, Lei C, Zhu F (2016) Ultrastructure of sensilla on larvae and adults of Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Entomol News 126:52–63. https://doi.org/10.3157/021.126.0107
Liu X, Zhang M, Shi J, Li K, Zhang D (2013) Ultrastructure of antennal sensilla of a parasitoid fly, Pales pavida Meigen (Diptera: Tachinidae). Micron 54:36–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2013.08.002
McAlpine DK (2011) Observations on antennal morphology in Diptera, with particular reference to the articular surfaces between segments 2 and 3 in the Cyclorrhapha. Rec Aust Mus 63(2):113–166
Nihei SS, Liu G, Wang Q, Liu X, Li X, Pang X, Alvarez-Garcia D, Zhang D (2022) Comparative morphology of antennal ultrastructure in Tachinidae parasitoid flies (Diptera): The phylogenetic importance of antennal sensilla. Arthropod Struct Dev 71:101202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2022.101202
O’Hara JE, Henderson SJ, Wood DM (2020) Preliminary checklist of the Tachinidae of the world. Version 2.1. http://www.nadsdiptera.org/Tach/WorldTachs/Checklist/Worldchecklist.html. Accessed 20 July 2020
Ochieng SA, Park KC, Zhu JW, Baker TC (2000) Functional morphology of antennal chemoreceptors of the parasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Arthropod Struct Dev 29(3):231–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1467-8039(01)00008-1
Pezzi M, Whitmore D, Chicca M, Semeraro B, Brighi F, Leis M (2016) Ultrastructural morphology of the antenna and maxillary palp of Sarcophaga tibialis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). J Med Entomol 53(4):807–814. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjw061
Rahal Y, Barry P, Hawlitzky N, Renou M (1996) Antennal olfactory sensilla of the parasitoid fly, Pseudoperichaeta nigrolineata Walker (Diptera: Tachinidae). Int J Insect Morphol Embryol 25:145–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7322(95)00026-7
Roh GH, Lee YJ, Park CG (2020) Morphology and distribution of antennal sensilla in a parasitoid fly, Gymnosoma rotundatum (Diptera: Tachinidae). Microsc Res Tech 83:589–596. https://doi.org/10.1002/jemt.23449
Santis MD (2018) A new genus and species of Sophiini Townsend, 1936 (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Brazil, with an updated key to the genera of the tribe. Zootaxa 4500(3):433–442. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4500.3.9
Santis MD, Nihei SS (2019) Two new species of Neosophia Guimarães, 1982 and first description of female of Neoeuantha sabroskyi Guimarães, 1982 (Diptera: Tachinidae). J Nat Hist 53(1–2):109–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2019.1578427
Schneider D (1964) Insect antennae. Ann Rev Entomol 9:103–122
Setzu MD, Poddighe S, Angioy AM (2011) Sensilla on the antennal funiculus of the blow fly, Protophormia terraenovae (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Micron 42:471–477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2011.01.005
Slifer EH, Sekhon SS (1964) Fine structure of the sense organs on the antennal flagellum of a flesh fly, Sarcophaga argyrostoma R.-D. (Diptera, Sarcophagidae). J Morphol 114:185–207
Stireman JO III, O’Hara JE, Wood DM (2006) Tachinidae: evolution, behavior, and ecology. Annu Rev Entomol 51:525–555
Stireman JO III, Dier LA, Greeney HF III (2017) Specialised generalists? Food web structure of a tropical tachinid-caterpillar community. Insect Conserv Divers 10(5):367–384. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12238
Sukontason K, Sukontason KL, Piangjai S, Boonchu N, Chaiwong T, Ngern-klun R, Sripakdee D, Vogtsberger RC, Olson JK (2004) Antennal sensilla of some forensically important flies in families Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae and Muscidae. Micron 35:671–679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2004.05.005
Vinson SB (1984) Parasitoid-host relationship. In: Bell W, Cardé R (eds) Chemical ecology of insects. Chapman and Hall Ltd., Boston, pp 205–233
Wang QK, Liu XH, Lu PF, Zhang D (2014) Ultrastructure of antennal sensilla in Hydrotaea armipes (Fallen) (Diptera: Muscidae): new evidence for taxonomy of the genus Hydrotaea. Zootaxa 3790(4):577–586. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3790.4.6
Zhang D, Liu XH, Li XY, Zhang M, Li K (2013) Antennal sensilla of the green bottle fly, Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Parasitol Res 112(11):3843–3850. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3573-2
Zhang D, Liu XH, Wang QK, Li L (2014) Sensilla on the antenna of blow fly, Triceratopyga calliphoroides Rohdendorf (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Parasitol Res 113:2577–2586. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3909-6
Acknowledgements
We thank the laboratory technicians Enio Mattos and Phillip Lenktaitis for their kind cooperation while capturing electron microscopy images. Dimas Sakamoto thanks Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, proc. no. 115724/2019-2) for scientific initiation scholarship. Deivys M. Alvarez-Garcia received funding through a doctoral scholarship from Ministerio de Ciencias, Tecnología e Innovación of Colombia and the department of Sucre (Convocatoria No 678 de 2014, Capítulo 2 Doctorado Exterior). Silvio S. Nihei thanks the financial support from FAPESP (research grants 2015/10788-0, 2016/50387-7) and CNPq (research grants 403165/2016-4, 409847/2021-6, and fellowship 310630/2021-5). We also thank the reviewers for their comments; however, the authors are completely responsible for all of the above information.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by DS and DAG. The first draft of the manuscript was written by DS and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Sakamoto, D.K., Nihei, S.S. & Alvarez-Garcia, D.M. Characterization of the antennal ultrastructure of Neoeuantha aucta (Wiedmann, 1830) (Diptera, Tachinidae). Zoomorphology (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-024-00647-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-024-00647-6