Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5380 No. 1: 28 Nov. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-11-28
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5380.1.4
Page range: 56-66
Abstract views: 276
PDF downloaded: 17

Ultrastructural observation of digestive tract and the adaptative characteristics of dietary habits for ground-dwelling and omnivorous insects

College of Life Sciences; Shaanxi Normal University; Xi’an; China; 710119
College of Life Sciences; Shaanxi Normal University; Xi’an; China; 710119
College of Life Sciences; Shaanxi Normal University; Xi’an; China; 710119
Orthoptera Scanning electron microscopy micromorphology Orthopteracrickets adaptive characteristics

Abstract

The digestive tract of insects from mouth to anus is the crop, proventriculus, gastric caecum, midgut, ileum, colon and rectum, and the Malpighian tubules attached to the ileum belong to the excretory organs. As the main organs for digesting food and absorbing nutrients, the structure of the insect digestive tract is inevitably adapted to feeding habits. Among the Orthoptera, the digestive tracts of phytophagous locusts and carnivorous katydids have been studied for their adaptations to their food habits, while the adaptations of the digestive tracts of omnivorous insects have been less studied. In order to systematically study the adaptations of the digestive tracts of ground-nesting omnivorous insects to their feeding habits, this study was carried out with Loxoblemmus taicoun Saussure, 1877, Teleogryllus emma (Ohmachi & Matsuura, 1951), and Velarifictorus micado (Saussure, 1877). Through the use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a VHX digital microscope, the digestive tract structures of these three most widespread and common omnivorous crickets in China were examined in order to better understand how omnivorous insects’ digestive tract structures differ from those of specialists. When we compared the morphological features of these crickets’ digestive tracts to those of phytophagous and carnivorous insects, we discovered six adaptive traits of omnivorous insects, including: (1) they have a shorter foregut and longer midgut and hindgut; (2) they have a well-developed muscular intestinal wall; (3) the spines in the inner wall of their crop are uniformly arranged and less chitinized; (4) the proventriculus is sclerotized and spherical, and the inner wall is accompanied by ossified large teeth; (5) they have well-developed cilia at the base of the crop and at the base of the ossified denticles; (6) they have only two lobulated gastric caeca. The study summarizes six characteristics of the digestive tract of omnivorous crickets that are compatible with their food habits, providing evidence and clues for further research on the relationship between the digestive tract and food habits in Orthoptera.

 

References

  1. Arab, A. & Caetano, F.H. (2002) Segmental specializations in the Malpighian tubules of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima Forel 1904 (Myrmicinae): an electron microscopical study. Arthropod Structure & Development, 30 (4), 281–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1467-8039(01)00039-1
  2. Cai, W.Z., Pang, X.F., Hua, B.Z., Liang, G.W. & Song, D.L. (2011) General Entomology. China Agricultural University Press, Beijing, 490 pp.
  3. Çakİcİ, Ö. & Ergen, G. (2012) Light and scanning electron microscope investigations on the structure of the proventriculus in Melanogryllus desertus (Pallas) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Türkiye Entomoloji Dergisi, 36 (4), 541–548.
  4. Cheeseman, M. & Pritchard, G. (1984) Proventricular trituration in adult carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Journal of Insect Physiology, 30 (3), 203–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1910(84)90004-0
  5. Dow, J.A. (1987) Insect midgut function. Advances in insect physiology, 19, 187–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2806(08)60102-2
  6. Fontanetti, C.S., Zefa, E., Passetti, F. & Mesa, A. (2002) Morphological characterization and comparative analysis of the proventriculus from three species of Endecous Saussure, 1878 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Phalangopsinae). Entomotropica, 17 (1), 15–23.
  7. Hodge, C. (1936) The anatomy and histology of the alimentary tract of the grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis Thomas. Journal of Morphology, 59 (3), 423–439. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.1050590302
  8. Hodge, C. (1940) The anatomy and histology of the alimentary tract of Radenotatum carinatum var. peninsulare Rehn and Hebard (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Journal of Morphology, 66 (3), 581–603. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.1050660310
  9. Isely, F.B. & Alexander, G. (1949) Analysis of insect food habits by crop examination. Science, 109 (2823), 115–116. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.109.2823.115
  10. Judd, W.W. (1948) A comparative study of the proventriculus of orthopteroid insects with reference to its use in taxonomy. Canadian Journal of Research, 26 (2), 93–161. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjr48d-011
  11. Klowden, M.J. (2013) Physiological systems in insects. 3rd Edition. Academic Press, Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York, Oxiford, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, 682 pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-415819-1.00006-4
  12. Li, N. (2008) The Taxonomic Study on the Tettigonioidea of Northeast Area (Orthoptera: Ensifera). Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 192 pp.
  13. Li, X., Ren, B., Zou, Y., Zhang, J. & Wang, Y. (2011) The study of proventricular micromorphological characterization of ten Grylloidea species (Orthoptera: Grylloidea) from China. Zootaxa, 2906 (1), 52–60. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2906.1.3
  14. Li, Z.Y. (2002) Studies on the systematics of the alimentary canal of some species of Tettigonioidea. Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 40 pp.
  15. Li, Z.Y. (2006) A comparative study of the foregut of six species of Tettigonioidea and their taxonomic significance (Tettigonioidea, Pseudophyllidae, Tettigoniidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica, 31 (4), 717–722.
  16. Liu, X.M., He, H. & Xi, G.S. (2009) A comparison of the gastric cecum of Atractomorpha sinensi and Acrida cinerea (Orthoptera: Acridoidea). Journal of Northwest A&F University (Natural Science Edition), 37 (8), 191–194 + 203.
  17. Lu, X., He, H. & Xi, G.S. (2009) The microstructure of alimentary canal and Malpighian tubules of Teleogylus emma. Chinese Bulletin of Entomology, 46 (5), 764–767 + 825.
  18. Serrao, J.E. (2007) Proventricular structure in the bee tribe Augochlorini (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 7 (3), 175–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ode.2006.05.002
  19. Snodgrass, R. (1935) Principles of insect morphology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, London, 667 pp.
  20. Szinwelski, N., Rodrigues, M.S., Pereira, M.R., Serrão, J.E. & Sperber, C.F. (2009) Proventriculus of three Nemobiinae crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae). Journal of Orthoptera Research, 18 (1), 59–63. https://doi.org/10.1665/034.018.0104
  21. Tietz, H.M. (1923) The anatomy of the digestive system of the Carolina locust (D. carolina, Linn). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 16 (3), 256–273. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/16.3.256
  22. Tu, X.Y., Zhang, S.M. & Wang, G.H. (2002) Feeding habits of Orthoptera. Acta Agriculture Universitatis Jiangxiensis, 24 (5), 608–611.
  23. Uvarov, S.B. (1966) Grashoppers and locusts. A handbook of general acridology. Vol. I. Anatomy, physiology, development, phase polymorphism, introduction to taxonomy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 481 pp.
  24. Wang, X.Q., Liang, S.Q. & Lu, Y. (2020) Study on the relationship between digestive tract ultrastructure and feeding habits of six grasshoppers. Journal of Xinyang Normal University, 33 (4), 553–559.
  25. Wang, Y., Su, Y., Zhang, X., Li, N. & Ren, B. (2012) A comparative study of the proventricular structure in twenty Chinese Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) species. Entomologica Fennica, 23 (3), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.33338/ef.6898
  26. Xi, B.X. & Zheng, Z.M. (1994) Foregut armature of 4 ceracris species and their taxonomic significance (Orthoptera: Arcypteridae). Journal of Hubei University (Natural Science), 16 (4), 450–454.
  27. Xi, B.X. & Zheng, Z.M. (1999) Foregut armature of grasshoppers and their taxonomic sicnificance (Orthoptera: Arcypteridae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica, 24 (1), 49–54.
  28. Zhang, X.M. (2006) Correlative studies between morphological structure of grasshopper‘s inner alimentary canal and its evolution. Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 179 pp.
  29. Zhang, X.M., Li, X.L., Guo, Y.P. & Ma, E.B. (2007) A new method for studying structure of alimentary canal in grasshopper. Chinese Bulletin of Entomology, 44 (1), 135–137 + 155.
  30. Zhou, S., Woodman, J.D., Chen, H. & Cooper, P.D. (2021) The role of the foregut in digestion in the cricket Teleogryllus commodus and the locust Chortoicetes terminifera. Australian Journal of Zoology, 68 (4), 212–221. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20092