Search

Simple Summary: The flea beetle Asiophrida xanthospilota (Baly, 1881) is a serious forest pest specifically damaging the common smoketree Cotinus coggygria. To understand how this beetle sees the world, we used scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, micro-computed tomography, and three-dimensional reconstruction to investigate the external morphology and internal ultrastructure of the compound eye. The examination showed that of Asi. xanthospilota has apposition eye like other leaf beetles, consisting of a subplano-convex cornea, an acone of four cone cells, eight retinular cells along with an open rhabdom, as well as two primary pigment cells and about 23 secondary pigment cells. Interestingly, retinular cell 8 does not contribute to the rhabdom. We also investigated the spectral sensitivity by electroretinogram tests and phototropism experiments. Electroretinogram tests showed that Asi. xanthospilota exhibits the strongest sensitivity to blue and green lights but the weakest to red light. Phototropism experiments also revealed that this beetle has the strongest reaction to blue light. In this study, the morphology and ultrastructure of the compound eye of Asi. xanthospilota were examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), micro-computed tomography (μCT), and 3D reconstruction. Spectral sensitivity was investigated by electroretinogram (ERG) tests and phototropism experiments. The compound eye of Asi. xanthospilota is of the apposition type, consisting of 611.00 ± 17.53 ommatidia in males and 634.8 0 ± 24.73 ommatidia in females. Each ommatidium is composed of a subplano-convex cornea, an acone consisting of four cone cells, eight retinular cells along with the rhabdom, two primary pigment cells, and about 23 secondary pigment cells. The open type of rhabdom in Asi. xanthospilota consists of six peripheral rhabdomeres contributed by the six peripheral retinular cells (R1~R6) and two distally attached rhabdomeric segments generated solely by R7, while R8 do not contribute to the rhabdom. The orientation of microvilli indicates that Asi. xanthospilota is unlikely to be a polarization-sensitive species. ERG testing showed that both males and females reacted to stimuli from red, yellow, green, blue, and ultraviolet light. Both males and females exhibited strong responses to blue and green light but weak responses to red light. The phototropism experiments showed that both males and females exhibited positive phototaxis to all five lights, with blue light significantly stronger than the others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect legs play a crucial role in various modes of locomotion, including walking, jumping, swimming, and other forms of movement. The flexibility of their leg joints is critical in enabling various modes of locomotion. The frog‐legged leaf beetle Sagra femorata possesses remarkably enlarged hind legs, which are considered to be a critical adaptation that enables the species to withstand external pressures. When confronted with external threats, S. femorata initiates a stress response by rapidly rotating its hind legs backward and upward to a specific angle, thereby potentially intimidating potential assailants. Based on video analysis, we identified 4 distinct phases of the hind leg rotation process in S. femorata, which were determined by the range of rotation angles (0°−168.77°). Utilizing micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) technology, we performed a 3‐dimensional (3D) reconstruction and conducted relative positioning and volumetric analysis of the metacoxa and metatrochanter of S. femorata. Our analysis revealed that the metacoxa–trochanter joint is a “screw‐nut” structure connected by 4 muscles, which regulate the rotation of the legs. Further testing using a 3D‐printed model of the metacoxa–trochanter joint demonstrated its possession of a self‐locking mechanism capable of securing the legs in specific positions to prevent excessive rotation and dislocation. It can be envisioned that this self‐locking mechanism holds potential for application in bio‐inspired robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]