Anatomy of the Nervous System in Chelifer cancroides (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) with a Distinct Sensory Pathway Associated with the Pedipalps.

Abstract

Simple SummaryMost arthropods (uniting animals such as the chelicerates, e.g., spiders and their kin, as well as millipedes, centipedes, crustaceans, and insects) have distinct sensory appendages at the second head segment, the so-called antennae. The Arachnida (e.g., spiders and scorpions) do not possess antennae, but have evolved highly specialized sensory organs on different body regions. However, very limited information is available concerning pseudoscorpions (false scorpions). These animals do not seem to possess such specialized structures, but show dominant, multifunctional appendages prior to the first walking leg, called pedipalps. Here, we investigate the neuronal pathway of these structures as well as general aspects of the nervous system. We describe new details of typical arthropod brain compartments, such as the arcuate body and a comparatively small mushroom body. Neurons associated with the pedipalps terminate in two regions in the central nervous system of characteristic arrangement: a glomerular and a layered center, which we interpret as a chemo- and a mechanosensory center, respectively. The centers, which fulfill the same function in other animals, show a similar arrangement. These similarities in the sensory systems of different evolutionary origin have to be interpreted as functional prerequisites. Identifying these similarities helps to understand the general functionality of sensory systems, not only within arthropods.Many arachnid taxa have evolved unique, highly specialized sensory structures such as antenniform legs in Amblypygi (whip spiders), for instance, or mesosomal pectines in scorpions. Knowledge of the neuroanatomy as well as functional aspects of these sensory organs is rather scarce, especially in comparison to other arthropod clades. In pseudoscorpions, no special sensory structures have been discovered so far. Nevertheless, these animals possess dominant, multifunctional pedipalps, which are good candidates for being the primary sensory appendages. However, only little is known about the anatomy of the nervous system and the projection pattern of pedipalpal afferents in this taxon. By using immunofluorescent labeling of neuronal structures as well as lipophilic dye labeling of pedipalpal pathways, we identified the arcuate body, as well as a comparatively small mushroom body, the latter showing some similarities to that of Solifugae (sun spiders and camel spiders). Furthermore, afferents from the pedipalps terminate in a glomerular and a layered neuropil. Due to the innervation pattern and structural appearance, we conclude that these neuropils are the first integration centers of the chemosensory and mechanosensory afferents. Within Arthropoda, but also other invertebrates or even vertebrates, sensory structures show rather similar neuronal arrangement. Thus, these similarities in the sensory systems of different evolutionary origin have to be interpreted as functional prerequisites of the respective modality.