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The Fine Structure of Trichobothria in Moss Mites with Special Emphasis on Acrogalumna longipluma (Berlese, 1904) (Oribatida, Acari, Arachnida)
Author(s) -
Alberti Gerd,
Moreno Ana I.,
Kratzmann Markus
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1994.tb00962.x
Subject(s) - seta , sensillum , biology , oribatida , acari , anatomy , zoology , genus
Using SEM and TEM techniques, the trichobothria of Acrogalumna longipluma (Galumnidae, Pterogasterina) were studied in relation to a variety of other moss mites. Each sensillum is composed of a mostly solid bothridial seta and a very complex socket, the bothridium. The setal base bends sharply as it passes through the six chambers of the bothridium, which are arranged in an S‐shaped configuration. The proximal end of the seta is an elongated oval and inserted into a thin socket membrane provided with radiating suspension fibres. This peculiar shape of the setal base proper and probably also the existence of connecting pieces are assumed to provide directionality to the sensillum. Two differently shaped tubular bodies are found under the setal base, of which only one is in contact with the seta. The tubular bodies are surrounded by peculiar ‘dense tubes’, i.e. derivatives of the dendritic sheath. The rather thick, outer dendritic segments curve through an extensive receptor lymph cavity and terminate with ciliary regions. The inner dendritic segments are only short. Perikarya and axons as well as the enveloping cells do not show any peculiarities. The trichobothria of moss mites most probably represent vibration receptors reacting to substrate and/or air‐borne stimuli. The variety of shapes and the complexity, which is not found to this extent in any other arthropod group, are discussed in relation to ecophysiological demands.