Zhu Wenjing, Zhou Shihao, Wang Shijie, Han Dongyin, Chen Junyu, Fu Yueguan
Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 571701, China.
Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China.
Microsc Res Tech. 2017 Dec;80(12):1283-1296. doi: 10.1002/jemt.22926. Epub 2017 Aug 21.
The chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, is a serious pest of numerous important vegetable and ornamental crops. Various signals, especially phytochemical cues, determine the behavior of the phytophagous thrips at host selection. The sensory abilities of S. dorsalis are poorly understood although the antennae of adult are known to possess important sensory structures in orther insects. In this study, the morphology, distribution, and ultrastructure of the antennal sensilla of the S. dorsalis were examined by using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Microscopy observations revealed that adult male and female S. dorsalis possess filiform antennae. Each antenna comprises a scape, a pedicel, and a flagellum composed of six segments without clear sexual dimorphism in the number and distribution of antennal sensilla. The scape and pedicel exhibit Böhm's bristles, sensilla chaetica, and sensilla campaniform. The external structures of these organs reveal their mechanosensory function. In the flagellum, the most represented sensilla are the multiporous sensilla basiconica, which can be divided into three types of single-walled olfactory sensilla; three types of sensilla chaetica with mechanosensory and gustatory functions; sensilla coeloconica, which possess hollow cuticular spoke channels and represent double-walled olfactory sensilla; sensilla capitula and sensilla cavity with thermo-hygrosensory functions; and aporous sensilla trichodea with smooth cuticula and mechanosensory function. The putative function of described sensilla is discussed in ralation to host plant selection behavior of S. dorsalis.
辣椒蓟马，西花蓟马，是众多重要蔬菜和观赏作物的严重害虫。各种信号，尤其是植物化学线索，决定了植食性蓟马在寄主选择时的行为。尽管已知成年西花蓟马的触角拥有其他昆虫中重要的感觉结构，但其感觉能力仍知之甚少。在本研究中，通过扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜对西花蓟马触角感器的形态、分布和超微结构进行了研究。显微镜观察显示，成年雄性和雌性西花蓟马都有丝状触角。每根触角由柄节、梗节和由六节组成的鞭节组成，触角感器的数量和分布没有明显的性别二态性。柄节和梗节上有Böhm氏鬃毛、毛形感器和钟形感器。这些器官的外部结构显示了它们的机械感觉功能。在鞭节中，最具代表性的感器是多孔锥形感器，可分为三种单壁嗅觉感器；三种具有机械感觉和味觉功能的毛形感器；腔锥感器，具有中空的表皮辐条通道，代表双壁嗅觉感器；头状感器和具有温湿度感觉功能的腔感器；以及表皮光滑且具有机械感觉功能的无孔毛形感器。结合西花蓟马的寄主植物选择行为，对所描述感器的假定功能进行了讨论。
