Contact chemoreceptors among wind-sensitive head hairs of Locusta migratoria L. (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Abstract

The peg sensillum, a type of sensillum intermingled with the long hair sensilla in the hair fields on the head of Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae), was studied by light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The peg sensilla have the features typical of contact chemoreceptors; each peg is innervated by 5 sense cells; and 4 of the dendrites, enclosed within a “dendritic canal”, pass through the central lumen of the peg to the distal part, below the apical pore. The 5th dendrite ends in a tubular body at the caudal side of the peg articulation. Each distal segment of the 5 dendrites has a ciliary structure (9 ×2+0) at the transition to the short proximal segment, which in each case turns to the side to merge with the soma of the bipolar sense cell. Four sheath cells are associated with the group of sense cells and they are surrounded by a 5th, special epidermis cell. The innermost (thecogen) sheath cell (No. 1) encloses the receptor-lymph space 1 and forms the cuticular sheath; sheath cells 2 and 4 form the boundary of the large volume of receptorlymph space 2. The number of sheath cells is discussed with reference to other insect sensilla and in a phylogenetic context.