Xu Yifei, Dietrich Christopher H, Dai Wu
Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management, Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
Biology (Basel). 2025 Apr 13;14(4):418. doi: 10.3390/biology14040418.
Four species representing four different families of the hemipteran insect suborder Auchenorrhyncha, (Aphrophoridae), (Ricaniidae), sp. (Cicadellidae) and sp. (Membracidae) were investigated using high-speed photography and scanning electron microscopy to identify hind leg structures that may influence jumping performance. The coxa-trochanteral joint, femur and tibia were found to have distinct structural adaptations that vary among these jumping insects. Froghoppers and planthoppers possess a coxal protrusion which is absent in leafhoppers and treehoppers, the latter featuring a more recessed coxal fossa. The medial coxae of these insects exhibit fields of microtrichia that vary in density and fine structure. Medial gears on the trochanters of sp. are implicated in the storage of energy prior to their jumps. These structural differences manifest in the insects' jumping performance. The study demonstrated a correlation between the robustness of the microtrichia field interaction and the insect's jumping capability. Specifically, leafhoppers, equipped with a pair of rivet-like structures connecting the hind coxae, were observed to achieve quicker and more stable take-offs. The study reveals that structural variations in the hind legs of Auchenorrhyncha species significantly influence their jumping performance, with implications for both efficiency and stability.
利用高速摄影和扫描电子显微镜对半翅目昆虫亚目头喙亚目中代表四个不同科的四个物种进行了研究，这四个物种分别是沫蝉科的[沫蝉科物种名称]、广翅蜡蝉科的[广翅蜡蝉科物种名称]、叶蝉科的[叶蝉科物种名称]和角蝉科的[角蝉科物种名称]，以确定可能影响跳跃性能的后腿结构。发现基节 - 转节关节、股骨和胫骨具有明显的结构适应性，这些适应性在这些跳跃昆虫中各不相同。沫蝉和广翅蜡蝉具有一个基节突出物，而叶蝉和角蝉没有，后者具有更凹陷的基节窝。这些昆虫的内侧基节呈现出微刚毛区域，其密度和精细结构各不相同。[叶蝉科物种名称]转节上的内侧齿轮与跳跃前的能量储存有关。这些结构差异在昆虫的跳跃性能中表现出来。该研究表明微刚毛区域相互作用的强度与昆虫的跳跃能力之间存在相关性。具体而言，观察到配备有一对连接后基节的铆钉状结构的叶蝉能够实现更快、更稳定的起飞。该研究表明，头喙亚目物种后腿的结构变化显著影响其跳跃性能，对效率和稳定性都有影响。
