Longicorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) differ considerably in the degree of their mushroom body development

Abstract

A duality in the general structure of the mushroom body in longicorn beetles is confirmed. This duality is associated with the fact that they are formed by two solitary neuroblasts or two neuroblast clusters on each side of the brain and are manifested as a bipartite structure of both the calyx, which is the main sensory input, and the peduncular apparatus. Within the studied longicorn beetles, modifications in the general structure of mushroom bodies have been found; these modifications are caused by two oppositely directed morphogenetic processes, namely, the concentration of structures and their compartmentalization. The concentration leads to disappearance of the bipartite structure of the peduncular apparatus, whereas compartmentalization leads to a secondary subdivision of these structures into anatomically distinct subsections. This process is most pronounced in the peduncle and lobes. The mushroom bodies are best developed and differentiated in the members of the subfamily Lamiinae.