Several members of the Tephritidae (Diptera) are destructive pests of fruits and vegetables. This study used scanning electron microscopy to analyze the external morphology, typology, size, and distribution of maxillary palpus sensilla of both female and male adults of 6 fruit fly species, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), B. diaphora (Hendel), B. dorsalis (Hendel), B. minax (Enderlein), B. scutellata (Hendel), and B. tau (Walker). The palpus is equipped with sensilla chaetica, sensilla basiconica, and microtrichia. In addition, the possible functions of the sensillum types are discussed. Probable functions include the mechanoreception of sensilla chaetica and microtrichia, and olfaction of sensilla basiconica. Future functional morphology and electrophysiological studies are needed to confirm these proposed functions.
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1 September 2011
Morphological Characterization and Distribution of Sensilla on Maxillary Palpi of Six Bactrocera Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Guo-Na Zhang,
Helen Hull-Sanders,
Fei Hu,
Wei Dou,
Jin-Zhi Niu,
Jin-Jun Wang
Florida Entomologist
Vol. 94 • No. 3
September 2011
Vol. 94 • No. 3
September 2011
Bactrocera
mouthparts
scanning electron microscopy
sensilla
ultrastructure