An electron microscopic study of the tympanal organ and associated structures in the foreleg tibia of the cricket, Gryllus assimilis

Early descriptions of insect sensory organs included three presumed mechanotransducers in the tibia of Orthoptera, namely the subgenual organ, the intermediate organ, and the tympanal organ. The following study examines the fine structure of the tympanal organ in the foreleg tibia of the cricket, Gryllus assimilis . This investigation provides the first fine structure analysis of this structure and shows that the tibial tympanal organ is not a scolopophorus organ. It consists of highly modified epithelium, associated with the anterior tympanic membrane, and receives innervation from the anterior ganglion.