Functional morphology of mouthparts and antennal sensillae of two co-generic aphidophagous ladybirds

The Microscopic Morphology of Mouthparts and Their Sensilla in the Mycophagous Ladybeetle Illeis chinensis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

“…There is no doubt that the closer the taxonomic relationship, the more similar the morphology. From the extensive research which has been conducted into Coleoptera, it is obvious that the mouthparts of I. chinensis have most in common with those of Coccinella transversoguttata [3], Hippodamia variegata [21], and Coccinella transversalis [13], which are all from the same family. Their basal compositions, as well as the locations and shapes of each component, are very similar.…”

“…The sensillum is the main allelopathic organ of the mouthparts, and sensilla are widely distributed on the mouthparts as well as antennae. They exhibit diverse functions and play crucial roles in foraging and the mate-searching process [11][12][13]. Aggregations and types of sensilla on the mouthparts are directly related to feeding habits.…”

“…Investigation of their distribution on different mouthparts may provide insight into their function and utility in the location of prey. Research on the functional morphology of sensilla may also advance our knowledge of insect feeding behavior and thereby contribute to their application in biological control programs [13].…”

“…Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the morphology of mouthparts in Coleoptera insects such as Coccinellidae [3,13], Nitidulidae [14], Cerambycidae [15][16][17], Carabidae [18], and Chrysomelidae [19]. However, almost all previous studies have focused primarily on predatory and phytophagous species; there have been few studies on mycophagous insects [1].…”

“…However, almost all previous studies have focused primarily on predatory and phytophagous species; there have been few studies on mycophagous insects [1]. The family Coccinellidae encompasses phytophagous, mycophagous, and predatory species [20]; to date, mouthpart morphology has been extensively studied in predatory species [2,3,13,21] but not in mycophagous species.…”