title: Morphology of the Antenna of Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): An Ultrastructural Investigation.
abstract: The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), is a relevant species in waste and pest management, but is also of forensic and medical importance. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation of the antennae of both sexes of H. illucens is presented here for the first time. The antenna is composed of three regions: the scape, the pedicel, and the flagellum. The first two regions are single segments, whereas the third region, the longest one, is composed of eight flagellomeres. The scape and pedicel have microtrichia, chaetic sensilla, and rounded perforations. The flagellum is covered by different microtrichia, the morphology of which is described in detail. Two types of sensory pit are found on flagellomeres 1 to 6. An oval depression with trichoid sensilla extends from flagellomeres 4 to 6. On both sides of flagellomere 8 is a lanceolate depression covered by hair-like microtrichia. Morphometric and morphological analyses revealed some sex-related differences. The results of the SEM investigations are compared with those obtained on other species of the family Stratiomyidae and other brachyceran Diptera. The possible role of sensilla in sensory perception is also discussed in comparison with nondipteran species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy.|Laboratory TekneHub, Technopole of University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 13, Ferrara, 44122, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pezzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy.|Laboratory TekneHub, Technopole of University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 13, Ferrara, 44122, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leis
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chicca
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, Potenza, 85100, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falabella
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, Potenza, 85100, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvia
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, Potenza, 85100, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd., London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whitmore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057506:Arthropod Antennae / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004175:Diptera / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
keywords: Hermetia illucens; antenna; black soldier fly; morphology; scanning electron microscopy