The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elements
The most complex defensive mechanism in oribatid mites is ptychoidy, a special body form allowing the animals to retract their legs and coxisternum into a secondary cavity in the idiosoma and to seal it off with the prodorsum. Many exoskeletal and muscular adaptations are required to enable the fun...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung
2010-08-01
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| Series: | Soil Organisms |
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| Online Access: | https://soil-organisms.org/index.php/SO/article/view/231 |
| _version_ | 1797322715118436352 |
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| author | Sebastian Schmelzle Lukas Helfen Roy A. Norton Michael Heethoff |
| author_facet | Sebastian Schmelzle Lukas Helfen Roy A. Norton Michael Heethoff |
| author_sort | Sebastian Schmelzle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The most complex defensive mechanism in oribatid mites is ptychoidy, a special body form allowing the animals to retract their legs and coxisternum into a secondary cavity in the idiosoma and to seal it off with the prodorsum. Many exoskeletal and muscular adaptations are required to enable the functionality of this mechanism, e.g. a soft and pliable podosoma. Its membranous part not only gives the coxisternum the ability to move independently from the rest of the hardened cuticular elements, but also builds up the ‘walls’ of the secondary cavity. Here, using scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron microtomography we present the first detailed study on ptychoidy in a phthiracaroid mite, Phthiracarus longulus, and compare it to the Euphthiracaroidea. Morphological differences regarding ptychoidy between these groups are already noticeable from the outside: the ventral plates of P. longulus are embedded into the soft anogenital membrane, whereas euphthiracaroid mites connect the ventral plates to the notogaster through the hardened plicature plates. Internally, we discovered a not yet described coxisternal protractor muscle, which presumably assists haemolymph pressure during the deployment of the coxisternum during ecptychosis.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:18:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a6cb3601a39b498d9ba80a4f7c63d106 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1864-6417 2509-9523 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:18:18Z |
| publishDate | 2010-08-01 |
| publisher | Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Soil Organisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-a6cb3601a39b498d9ba80a4f7c63d1062024-02-06T15:45:11ZengSenckenberg Gesellschaft für NaturforschungSoil Organisms1864-64172509-95232010-08-01822The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elementsSebastian Schmelzle0Lukas Helfen1Roy A. Norton2Michael Heethoff3Universität TübingenInstitut für Synchrotronstrahlung (ISS/ANKA); Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)State University of New YorkUniversität Tübingen The most complex defensive mechanism in oribatid mites is ptychoidy, a special body form allowing the animals to retract their legs and coxisternum into a secondary cavity in the idiosoma and to seal it off with the prodorsum. Many exoskeletal and muscular adaptations are required to enable the functionality of this mechanism, e.g. a soft and pliable podosoma. Its membranous part not only gives the coxisternum the ability to move independently from the rest of the hardened cuticular elements, but also builds up the ‘walls’ of the secondary cavity. Here, using scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron microtomography we present the first detailed study on ptychoidy in a phthiracaroid mite, Phthiracarus longulus, and compare it to the Euphthiracaroidea. Morphological differences regarding ptychoidy between these groups are already noticeable from the outside: the ventral plates of P. longulus are embedded into the soft anogenital membrane, whereas euphthiracaroid mites connect the ventral plates to the notogaster through the hardened plicature plates. Internally, we discovered a not yet described coxisternal protractor muscle, which presumably assists haemolymph pressure during the deployment of the coxisternum during ecptychosis. https://soil-organisms.org/index.php/SO/article/view/231Synchrotron X-ray microtomographyPhthiracarus longulusptychoidyPhthiracaridaebox miteconvergent evolution |
| spellingShingle | Sebastian Schmelzle Lukas Helfen Roy A. Norton Michael Heethoff The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elements Soil Organisms Synchrotron X-ray microtomography Phthiracarus longulus ptychoidy Phthiracaridae box mite convergent evolution |
| title | The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elements |
| title_full | The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elements |
| title_fullStr | The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elements |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elements |
| title_short | The ptychoid defensive mechanism in Phthiracarus longulus (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea): Exoskeletal and muscular elements |
| title_sort | ptychoid defensive mechanism in phthiracarus longulus acari oribatida phthiracaroidea exoskeletal and muscular elements |
| topic | Synchrotron X-ray microtomography Phthiracarus longulus ptychoidy Phthiracaridae box mite convergent evolution |
| url | https://soil-organisms.org/index.php/SO/article/view/231 |
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