Organi sensoriali delle ali dei tricotteri cavernicoli

Abstract

Tlie authors have begun the morphological am! Histological study of some parts of the wings of the Stenaphylacineae to find out if particular sensitive organs could he considered as like telcreepturs of stimuli capable to guide these insects in the underground environment. The parts so far studied are as follows: The teguln, the axillary region, the ptcrostigmu and Martynov's faeelie organs The accepted histological technique is the following: fixation in Duhoscq Brasil, inclusion in cetloidin-paraffin, colouring with Ilcmaloxylin-Carazzi, Fcrric Ilaemaloxylin, Trichromic, Silver impregnation.Being richly supplied with nerve endings, the wings of cavcrnieohms Trichop torn have shown some parts rirlier than others in scnsilla. The Icgula is the seal of two species of sensilla-lrichodea characterized in sensitive macroand microchvlae; it is crossed By a nerve which branches out npically and it is run hy a hypodermic nerve net. The axillary region of the first ami second pair of wings shows some sensillatrirhoden particularly frequent along llic nervation and some svnsilla campon or mio and scolopal organs. The hypodermic nerve net docs not exist. The plerostigma urea maintains the typical spongy aspect of the pupa age which gradually disappears when the subject is growing old. Besides the above mentioned formations, one may distinguish some sensilluirichotleu with a short neurofibrillar connection to the nerve which runs along the corresponding nervations. In the anterior ami posterior region of the wings an terogeneous tissue is composed by liacmnlymphlements,Iracheolacmiparticular couica hypodermic cells. Martynov's faeelie organ is a glandular structure with 50-180 facets and so far it has not revealed any nerve formations particularly developed. The inquiry about the ncuioscnsitivc organs of the wings of Trichoplera con- tinues. Wc can think not indispensable the numerous formations capable to inform at a distance llu cave insect on the presence of hypogcal environments into vvhieh they penetrate. © 1965 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.