The complex tibial organ of the New Zealand ground weta: sensory adaptations for vibrational signal detection

Scientific Reports
Johannes StraussLaurence H Field

Abstract

In orthopteran insects, a complex tibial organ has evolved to detect substrate vibrations and/or airborne sound. Species of New Zealand weta (Anostostomatidae) with tympanal ears on the foreleg tibia use this organ to communicate by sound, while in atympanate species (which communicate by substrate drumming) the organ is unstudied. We investigated the complex tibial organ of the atympanate ground weta, Hemiandrus pallitarsis, for vibration detection adaptations. This system contains four sensory components (subgenual organ, intermediate organ, crista acustica homolog, accessory organ) in all legs, together with up to 90 scolopidial sensilla. Microcomputed tomography shows that the subgenual organ spans the hemolymph channel, with attachments suggesting that hemolymph oscillations displace the organ in a hinged-plate fashion. Subgenual sensilla are likely excited by substrate oscillations transmitted within the leg. Instead of the usual suspension within the middle of the tibial cavity, we show that the intermediate organ and crista acustica homolog comprise a cellular mass broadly attached to the anterior tibial wall. They likely detect cuticular vibrations, and not airborne sound. This atympanate complex tibial organ shows ela...Continue Reading

References

Jul 15, 2004·Microscopy Research and Technique·Jayne E Yack
Aug 30, 2008·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Johannes Strauss, Reinhard Lakes-Harlan
Sep 11, 2008·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Renae C PrattSteve A Trewick
Oct 9, 2008·Die Naturwissenschaften·Johannes Strauss, Reinhard Lakes-Harlan
Feb 11, 2011·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Kathryn LomasDaniel Robert
Jul 19, 2012·Journal of Morphology·Johannes StraußReinhard Lakes-Harlan
Jun 12, 2013·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Johannes Strauß, Reinhard Lakes-Harlan
Nov 10, 2014·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Johannes Strauß, Andreas Stumpner

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Citations

Mar 9, 2018·Advanced Materials·Thomas B H SchroederMichael Mayer
Jun 28, 2018·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Nataša Stritih Peljhan, Johannes Strauß
Jun 27, 2021·Current Biology : CB·Eleanor G Z McKelveyCaroline C G Fabre

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
scanning electron microscopy
dissection

Software Mentioned

AVIRA
CombineZP
AVISO
Google Picasa
Ensifera
AVISO3D
Prism
Drishti

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