Ultrastructure of contact-chemoreceptor sensilla found among the genae of female Gasterophilus nasalis.
Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe contact-chemoreceptor sensilla in the genae of the anterior vestigial mouthparts of female Gasterophilus nasalis. These were of the uniporous trichoid type and were surrounded by mechanosensory aporous trichoid sensilla of variable size. Contact-chemoreceptor sensilla could be involved in detecting different chemical substances, including the equine kairomones that stimulate females to lay eggs on the hair of the host and/or the short-range sexual pheromones used in precopulatory courtship. The probable functions of these sensilla are discussed with reference to the current literature on the sensorial organs of muscomorphid dipterans.
Fernandes
Fernando de Freitas
Fde F
Setor de Entomologia, DMIPP, Laboratório de Artropodologia Médica e Veterinária, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil. ffreitas@iptsp.ufg.br
Freitas
Edméia de Paula e Souza
Ede P
Linardi
Pedro Marcos
PM
Pimenta
Paulo Filemon Paolucci
PF
D000818:Animals; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004175:Diptera / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D006736:Horses; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning