The Nicarchi (sensu Descamps 1976) are a group of flightless genera within the Vilernae, characterized by living on trunks of trees and by a series of mostly adaptive morphological features. They also have relatively wide thoracic sternal interspaces. It is shown here that this last is due to two processes: development of relatively wider thoraces and reduction in the size of the sternal lobes. The latter correlates with loss of flight and of the wings, as shown by a series of genera from within the Vilernae, and is associated with the atrophy and/or loss of the indirect flight musculature. A probable selective advantage of both processes is to increase the space available for the crop, the major organ of food storage and digestion.
CITATION STYLE
Rowell, C. H. F. (2009). On the significance of changes in pterothoracic sternal morphology within the Vilernae (Ommatolampinae, Acrididae). Journal of Orthoptera Research, 18(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1665/034.018.0105
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