title: Lehr's fields of campaniform sensilla in beetles (Coleoptera): functional morphology. I. General part and allometry.
abstract: In this first of three articles we show the construction of the articular part of the elytron, the root. The root bears a conspicuous field of campaniform sensilla. This field was studied using light and scanning electron microscopes. The diversity of shape of the field among beetles, types of orientation of elongated sensilla within the field, individual variability of their number among conspecifics are demonstrated. Elongated sensilla point to the junction of the elytron with the second axillary plate. Presumably, they monitor twist movement in this junction, which is possible if the elytron is open. The goal of the whole project is to reveal the effect of both structure and function of the hind wings and elytra on the morphology of this mechanosensory field. Our data on allometric relationships between the animal size and quantitative characteristics of the field in normally flying beetles provide an important background for further functional analysis of this sensory organ. We selected 14 series of several species belonging to the same taxon but differing in size from big to small. It is revealed that the area of the sensory field is directly proportional to the elytral area, whereas the number of sensilla is proportional to the square root of the elytral area. Despite the great range in the elytral area (1500 times) in series of selected species the area of an external pit or cap of a single sensillum varies only 25-fold. The density of sensilla per unit area of the sensory field increases with decrease of the elytral area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ethology and Social Biology of Insects, Schmalhausen-Institute of Zoology, B. Chmielnicki Street 15, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine. Electronic address: leopup@izan.kiev.ua.
authors.forename: Leonid
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frantsevich
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24098 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gorb
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolutionary Ecology, Acad. Lebedev Street 37, 03143 Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Radchenko
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolutionary Ecology, Acad. Lebedev Street 37, 03143 Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Dmytro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gladun
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1-12 Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polilov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D058618:Sensilla / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Allometric relationships; Articulation of the elytron; Campaniform sensilla; Coleoptera; Insect flight