Comparative Material and Mechanical Properties among Cicada Mouthparts: Cuticle Enhanced with Inorganic Elements Facilitates Piercing through Woody Stems for Feeding

Comparative Material and Mechanical Properties among Cicada Mouthparts: Cuticle Enhanced with Inorganic Elements Facilitates Piercing through Woody Stems for Feeding

Adult cicadas pierce woody stems with their mouthparts to feed on xylem, suggesting the presence of cuticular adaptations that could increase hardness and elastic modulus. We tested the following hypotheses: (a) the mouthpart cuticle includes inorganic elements, which augment the mechanical properti...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kristen E. Reiter, Cynthia Perkovich, Katelynne N. Smith, Jiansheng Feng, Gene Kritsky, Matthew S. Lehnert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-01-01
Series:Biology
Subjects:
Hemiptera
insect cuticle
energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
nanoindentation
cicada feeding
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/2/207

Internet

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/2/207

Similar Items