Ontogeny of mouthpart sensilla of muga silkworm: A scanning electron microscopic study

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy on the postembryonic development of the mouthpart sensory structures of the Muga silk moth, Antheraea assamensis revealed the presence of a variety of sensilla. The types, distribution pattern of the sensilla remained almost the same in the different larval stages except for the number and dimension in some cases. The findings of the study assumes significance because the silk moth, Antheraea assamensis is a species endemic to the North Eastern part of India and very few reports are available on it. In fact, the present study provides the first report on the ontogeny of the mouth part sensilla of the silk moth species. Since mouth part sensilla and their surface micro structural characteristics are extremely important in understanding their roles in searching behavior during feeding, the present study will certainly help in developing strategies for proper rearing of this economically important insect species.

Morphology of antennal, maxillary palp and labial palp sensilla in different larval instars of the Asian long‐horned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

“…, ; Goldsmith et al . ). The sensilla chaetica on the maxillary and labial palps of the ALB could coordinate the movements of the maxillary and the labial palps and also detect the structure of the tunnel.…”

“…, ; Goldsmith et al . ). All five larval instars of the ALB occur inside tree trunks, and therefore, these larvae experience little change in the environment which might be reflected in the constancy of the types and numbers of sensilla.…”

“…; Goldsmith et al . ) and the antennae, maxillary palps and labial palps of the larvae of Coleoptera (Bland ; Baker and Ellsbury ; Giglio et al . , ; Ortloff et al .…”

“…() observed the s.t.b.2 in T. molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), and Goldsmith et al . () called them ‘ Sensilla Basiconica’ and presumed that the sensilla were tactile chemosensilla which responded to sucrose, NaCl, amino acids and other chemicals (Bland ; Baker et al . ).…”

Development of mouthparts in the cicada Meimuna mongolica (Distant): successive morphological patterning and sensilla differentiation from nymph to adult

“…Up to thirteen kinds of sensilla were found in adults. Constant numbers of sensilla among instars have been found in some other insects, such as lepidopteran larvae45. Larger numbers of sensilla have been correlated with broader host ranges46.…”