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Functional principles of steerable multi-element probes in insects.

Uroš Cerkvenik1, Dimitra Dodou2, Johan L van Leeuwen1

  • 1Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, 6708 WD, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|September 28, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Insect probes, like those in wasps and mosquitoes, share a multi-part, sliding design for efficient substrate navigation and target acquisition. This convergent evolution highlights a common mechanical solution for probing diverse materials.

Keywords:
buckling avoidancehemipteransmosquitoesmulti-element probesparasitic waspsspatial probingsteering

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Insect Morphology
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Insects such as hemipterans, mosquitoes, and parasitic wasps utilize specialized probes for host-finding and feeding.
  • These probes, originating from diverse anatomical structures, enable navigation and precise steering within solid substrates without visual cues.
  • Existing knowledge on insect probes is fragmented across numerous taxa, necessitating a consolidated understanding of their general characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the shared morphological characteristics of insect probes across disparate taxa.
  • To link probe morphology to functional requirements and evolutionary convergence in probing insects.
  • To provide insights into the biology of probing insects and the evolution of their complex probes.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative morphological analysis of probes from hemipterans, mosquitoes, and parasitic wasps.
  • Linking observed probe morphologies to functional demands related to substrate penetration and target acquisition.
  • Review of existing literature to synthesize knowledge on insect probing mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Insect probes, despite differing origins and functions (e.g., egg-laying vs. feeding), exhibit convergent evolution towards a slender, multi-element (3-6 parts) sliding construction.
  • This multi-part design facilitates precise 3D steering and penetration with minimal external force, preventing buckling.
  • Differences in probe cross-sections, tip morphologies, and element interconnections suggest adaptation to substrate properties, though these are not fully characterized.

Conclusions:

  • A multipart probe with sliding elements is an effective strategy for volumetric substrate probing, observed across diverse insect groups.
  • Shared functional demands have driven the convergent evolution of these sophisticated probing structures.
  • Further research on sensory/material properties and kinematics is needed to fully understand 3D probing and inspire bio-inspired probe development.