Light- and electron-microscopic analysis of a complex sensory organ: the tegula of Locusta migratoria

Structure and organization of the tegula, a cupola-shaped structure located at the anterior base of the wings of locusts, is described using various morphological methods. Based on histological and cytological criteria, two different sensory systems are distinguished: (1) a field of mechanoreceptive hairs, and (2) a chordotonal organ. The total number of sensory cells corresponds to the number of axons within the nerve supporting the tegula. The hairs are situated at the posterior region of the tegula, and each hair is innervated by only one sensory cell. The complex architecture of the chordotonal organ is analyzed and the attachment of the scolopidia to the cuticle is described. A single scolopidium makes contact with several epidermal cells. The attachment cells run in parallel and are oriented longitudinally within the tegula, being connected to each other and to the epidermal cells by desmosomes. A function in relation to wing movements during flight is suggested for the two sensory systems within the "mixed" sense organ, tegula.