scholarly journals Postembryonic development of the two-spotted field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus): a staging system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakke Neiro

AbstractThe two-spotted field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus has emerged as a central model for studies on insect development, regeneration, and physiology. G. bimaculatus has the most sophisticated functional genetic toolkit of any hemimetabolous insect, making it a foremost model to understand the evolutionary developmental biology and comparative physiology of insects. However, the morphology and stages of postembryonic development have never been comprehensively reported. Here, 8 morphologically defined stages are described. Size, coloration, and the morphology of wing buds, hind tibial spines, and the ovipositor are the best landmarks for staging. The stages correspond to the 8-12 moult-based instars present in the literature. The staging system aims to standardise studies on the postembryonic development of G. bimaculatus and serve as a point of reference for delineating interspecific postembryonic homologies within Orthoptera.

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natteewan Udomsil ◽  
Sumeth Imsoonthornruksa ◽  
Chotika Gosalawit ◽  
Mariena Ketudat-Cairns

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (128) ◽  
pp. 20170035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Lankheet ◽  
Uroš Cerkvenik ◽  
Ole N. Larsen ◽  
Johan L. van Leeuwen

Female field crickets use phonotaxis to locate males by their calling song. Male song production and female behavioural sensitivity form a pair of matched frequency filters, which in Gryllus bimaculatus are tuned to a frequency of about 4.7 kHz. Directional sensitivity is supported by an elaborate system of acoustic tracheae, which make the ears function as pressure difference receivers. As a result, phase differences between left and right sound inputs are transformed into vibration amplitude differences. Here we critically tested the hypothesis that acoustic properties of internal transmissions play a major role in tuning directional sensitivity to the calling song frequency, by measuring tympanal vibrations as a function of sound direction and frequency. Rather than sharp frequency tuning of directional sensitivity corresponding to the calling song, we found broad frequency tuning, with optima shifted to higher frequencies. These findings agree with predictions from a vector summation model for combining external and internal sounds. We show that the model provides robust directional sensitivity that is, however, broadly tuned with an optimum well above the calling song frequency. We therefore advocate that additional filtering, e.g. at a higher (neuronal) level, significantly contributes to frequency tuning of directional sensitivity.


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