Insect Ecomorphology

Linking Functional Insect Morphology to Ecology and Evolution

1st Edition - February 25, 2025
Editor: Oliver Betz
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 8 5 4 4 - 1
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 8 5 4 5 - 8

Insect Ecomorphology: Linking Functional Insect Morphology to Ecology and Evolution offers up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the morphology of insects and the functiona… Read more

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Insect Ecomorphology: Linking Functional Insect Morphology to Ecology and Evolution offers up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the morphology of insects and the functional basis of their diversity. This book covers the form and function of insect body structures in relation to their physiological performance capabilities, biological roles, and evolutionary histories. Written by international experts, the book explores the ecomorphology of functional systems such as insect feeding, locomotion, sensing, and egg laying. The combination of conceptual and review chapters, methodological approaches, and case studies enables readers to delve into active research fields and to gain an understanding of the form-function-performance paradigm.

This book uncovers key structures of the various regions of the insect body, elucidates their function, and investigates their ecological and evolutionary implications. Insect Ecomorphology is thus a vital resource for entomologists, biologists, and zoologists, especially those seeking to understand more fully the morphology and physiological impacts of insects in correlation to their environments and to evolution.

Title of Book
Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Contributors
Acknowledgements
Part I. Conceptual issues
Chapter 1. Introduction
1 Conceptual issues
2 Ecomorphology of the insect body
3 Methodological approaches
4 Case studies
5 Biomimetic issues
Chapter 2. Conceptual and methodological issues in insect ecomorphology
1 The evolutionary success of insects
2 Conceptual outline of ecomorphology
3 Morphological-comparative concept
3.1 Descriptive morphology
3.2 Functional morphology and biomechanics
3.3 Performance capacity of ecologically relevant tasks
3.4 Achieved performance
3.5 Reproduction and fitness consequences of ecomorphological traits
4 Ecological-correlative concept
4.1 Databases of functional traits
4.2 Morphospace analyses
4.3 Assembly of ecological communities
5 Phylogeny-informed approaches
6 Morphology-informed ecology
7 Conclusion
Part II. Ecomorphology of the insect body
Chapter 3. Ecomorphology of the insect head with a focus on the mouthparts of adults
1 The diversity of head shapes and mouthpart types
1.1 General trends of mouthpart evolution
1.2 General trends of head shape evolution are scarce
2 Insect ecomorphology appears as a neglected research topic
2.1 Ecomorphological literature landscape
3 Head ecomorphology across Hexapoda
3.1 Primary wingless hexapods
3.2 Ephemeroptera
3.3 Odonata
3.4 Zoraptera
3.5 Dermaptera
3.6 Plecoptera
3.7 Orthoptera
3.8 Phasmatodea
3.9 Embioptera
3.10 Grylloblattodea
3.11 Mantophasmatodea
3.12 Mantodea
3.13 Blattodea
3.14 Hemiptera
3.15 Thysanoptera
3.16 Psocodea
3.17 Hymenoptera
3.18 Strepsiptera
3.19 Coleoptera
3.20 Neuropterida
3.21 Diptera
3.22 Mecoptera
3.23 Siphonaptera
3.24 Trichoptera
3.25 Lepidoptera
Chapter 4. Reflections of an insect's lifestyle and habitat: Morphological and ultrastructural adaptations involving the eyes of insects
1 Introduction
2 Basic anatomical organization of light perceiving structures in insects
2.1 General remarks
2.2 Structural features: External morphology
2.3 The dioptric structures: Anatomy of cornea and cones
2.4 The retinula (=photoreceptor) cells and the rhabdom
2.5 The open rhabdom and the special case of the dipteran neural superposition
2.6 The basement membrane and the tapetum
2.6.1 Larval eyes and their roles (Fig. 4.1B–E)
2.6.2 Ocelli and their roles (Fig. 4.1F and G)
2.6.3 Extraocular light sensors and brain photoreceptors (Fig. 4.1H and I)
3 The photic environment and an insect's lifestyle
3.1 Insects in winter and on snow
3.2 The aquatic habitat: With both adults and their larval stages being aquatic
3.2.1 Insects in, on and above the water
3.2.2 Hemiptera
3.2.3 Coleoptera
3.3 The aquatic habitat: With only the larvae and not their adults being aquatic
3.3.1 Ephemeroptera
3.3.2 Odonata
3.3.3 Plecoptera
3.3.4 Trichoptera
3.3.5 Megaloptera
3.3.6 Diptera
3.3.7 Other orders with aquatic and semiaquatic species
3.4 Special aquatic environments
4 The terrestrial environment
4.1 Caves and cave-like habitats
4.1.1 Blattodea (incl. Isoptera)
4.2 Hemiptera, Orthoptera and Coleoptera
4.3 Diptera
5 Largely epigeic insects
5.1 Predatory Hemiptera
5.2 Predatory Mantodea
5.3 Predatory Neuroptera
5.4 Predatory Coleoptera
5.5 Predatory Diptera
5.6 Largely but not exclusively predatory Hymenoptera
6 Insect-plant interactions
6.1 Flower visitors: Lepidoptera
6.2 Flower visitors: Hymenoptera
6.3 Flower visitors: Diptera
6.4 Flower visitors: Coleoptera
7 Insects that harm plants: Phytophages and sap suckers
7.1 Phytophagous insects: Lepidoptera
7.2 Phytophagous insects: Orthoptera
7.3 Phytophagous insects: Sternorrhyncha, Auchenorrhyncha, and Thysanoptera
7.4 Phytophagous insects: Dermaptera and Embioptera
7.5 Phytophagous insects: Coleoptera
8 Detritophagous, Coprophagous and Necrophagous species
8.1 Diptera and Coleoptera
9 Parasitic species and their eyes
9.1 Hemiptera
9.2 Diptera
9.3 Siphonaptera
9.4 Strepsiptera
10 Bioluminescent insects and their eyes
10.1 Diptera
10.2 Coleoptera
11 Eye miniaturizations
11.1 General features of eye size reductions in Psocoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera
12 The Mecoptera
13 Conclusion
Chapter 5. Ecomorphology of insect flight
1 Ecomorphology of insect flight
2 The evolutionary origin and physiological actuation of flapping flight
2.1 Evolution, flight energetics and migration
2.2 Flight motor design and wing actuation
2.2.1 Introduction
2.2.2 Power requirements for flight and wing kinematics
3 Ecomorphology of insect wings
3.1 The evolution of insect wings
3.1.1 Wing components
3.1.2 Pleural, tergal and the dual origin theory
3.2 Morphology of wings
3.2.1 Wing vein-membrane designs
3.2.2 Wing camber and corrugation
3.2.3 Wings and sensory systems
3.3 The role of wing shape for flight force production
3.3.1 Aerodynamic properties and span efficiency
3.3.2 Wing shape for gliding and flapping flight
3.3.3 Benefits of an ideal wing planform in insects
3.3.4 Ecomorphology and function of cambered and corrugated wings
3.4 Biomechanics of wings
3.4.1 Introduction
3.4.2 Benefits of wing deformation in flight
3.4.3 Wing stiffness estimates
3.5 The ecomorphology of wing damage
3.5.1 Introduction
3.5.2 Natural occurrence, patterns and reasons for wing damage
3.5.3 Progression of wing damage
3.5.4 Ecological and locomotor consequence of wing damage
3.5.5 Compensation mechanisms for wing damage
4 Conclusions
Chapter 6. Interactions of morphology and leg-driven locomotor behaviour in insects
1 Introduction
1.1 The purpose of legs
1.2 Avenues of evolution
1.3 Interdependency of legged locomotor apparatuses and environment
1.4 Synchrony factors of leg coordination
1.5 Stabilization mechanisms of continuous insect locomotion
2 General leg design and use in insects
3 Body dynamics
4 Locomotion efficiency and passive mechanisms
4.1 Neuronal control of insect locomotion
4.2 Adaptability of leg coordination and body dynamics
5 Jumping
6 Climbing
7 Falling and gliding
8 Effect of body size on insect locomotion
9 Significance of morphological traits in insect locomotion
10 Prevalence of tripodal leg coordination in hexapedal animals
11 Evolutionary changes in the locomotor apparatus of insects, the sequence of behavioural and morphological changes
12 Nontripodal leg coordination patterns
13 Aquatic locomotion
14 Conclusions
Chapter 7. Ecomorphology and evolution of tarsal and pretarsal attachment organs in insects
1 Ecological relevance of attachment
2 Insects have diverse attachment systems
3 Underlying functional principles of attachment systems
3.1 Hierarchical organization
3.2 Material properties
3.3 Anisotropic internal organization
3.4 Contact splitting
3.5 Interfacial fluid
4 Phasmatodea and their ecomorphology of pretarsal and tarsal attachment devices
4.1 Function and ecomorphology of phasmid claws
4.2 Function and ecomorphology of phasmid attachment pads
4.3 Implications of habitat choice for attachment devices
4.4 Intraspecific manifestation of ecomorphological adaptation
4.5 Adaptive potential of the attachment pad surface
5 Future perspectives
Chapter 8. Ecomorphology of insect ovipositors
1 Introduction
2 Archaeognatha and Zygentoma
3 Odonata
4 Grylloblattodea and Orthoptera
5 Dictyoptera, Phasmatodea and Mantophasmatodea
6 Thysanoptera
7 Hemiptera
8 Holometabola, excluding Hymenoptera
9 Hymenoptera
9.1 From ‘saw’ of endophytic sawflies to ‘needle’ of parasitoid wasps
9.2 Steering mechanisms among parasitoid wasps
9.3 Stinging, envenomation and prey transportation
9.4 Metal-enrichment of the ovipositor
9.5 Functions of the gonoplac
9.6 Methods to investigate mechanical aspects of insect ovipositors
10 Concluding remarks
Chapter 9. Insect antennae and olfactory sensilla—Aspects of odorant capture and water conservation
1 Introduction
2 Insect antennae and odorant capture
2.1 General remarks
2.2 Antennal shape, size and numbers of olfactory sensilla
2.3 Do feathered antennae function as “sieves” for odour molecules?
2.4 Synopsis
3 Aspects of water conservation
3.1 General remarks
3.2 Two types of multiporous olfactory sensilla throughout insecta
3.3 Structures possibly involved in counteracting water loss
3.4 Synopsis
Chapter 10. Ecomorphology of insect mechanosensilla
1 Mechanosensilla—insect neurobiology and ecological adaptations
1.1 The importance of mechanosensilla in insect behaviour
1.2 The scope of ecomorphology
1.3 Levels of analysis in the ecomorphology of mechanosensilla
2 Diversity of mechanosensilla in insects
2.1 Functional characteristics of insect mechanoreceptors
2.2 Formation of sensory organs and functional connections between sensilla
3 Antennal mechanoreceptors in insects
3.1 Insect antennae and types of antennal mechanosensilla
3.2 The roles of antennal mechanosensilla in insect behaviour
4 Mechanosensilla on the insect mouthparts
4.1 Morphology and ecological adaptations of insect mouthparts
4.2 Distribution of mechanosensilla across the mouthparts
4.2.1 Mechanosensilla on chewing-biting mouthparts
4.2.2 Mechanosensilla on sucking-piercing mouthparts
5 Cuticular mechanosensilla on the legs
5.1 Distribution of mechanosensilla on the legs
5.2 Comparison of mechanosensilla on the antennae and the legs
6 Cercal hairs as medium flow receptors
7 Substrate vibrations and vibration receptor organs
7.1 Vibrational behaviour in insects
7.2 Diversity of vibration receptors in insects: Sensilla and sensory organs
7.3 Variation in vibroreceptor organ position
7.4 Variation in the number of vibrosensory sensilla
7.5 Variation in number of vibroreceptor organs
8 Tympanal hearing organs
8.1 Morphology and evolutionary origins of insect tympanal organs
8.2 Diversity in auditory functional morphology and neuroanatomy
8.2.1 Diversity and variation in auditory sensilla
8.2.2 Adaptations in spiracles and tympana
8.3 Variation due to regressive evolution and losses of tympanal membranes
9 Mechanosensilla in aquatic insects
9.1 Insects in aquatic habitats
9.2 Adaptations of cuticular mechanosensilla on the antenna and the body surface
9.3 Detection of water surface waves by whirligig beetles
9.4 Vibrosensitive subgenual organs
9.5 Sensory organs at the distal leg detecting water surface vibrations
9.6 Tympanal organ in Corixidae
10 Mechanosensory systems in cave insects
10.1 Ecology of caves and adaptations of cave insects
10.2 Antennae
10.3 Tympanal hearing organs
10.4 Vibration receptor organs and vibrational behaviour in cave insects
11 Outlook
Funding information
Part III. Methodological approaches
Chapter 11. Methods for biomechanical characterization of insect cuticle
1 Ecomorphology and cuticle biomechanics
2 Ecological implications of cuticle biomechanics
3 Structure property or material constant?
4 Selected methods for biomechanical characterization of insect cuticle
4.1 Cantilever bending
4.2 Three- and four-point bending
4.3 Tensile and compressive tests
4.4 Fracture toughness
4.5 Nanoindentation
4.6 Sample preparation
5 Static vs dynamic material properties of insect cuticle
6 Cyclic loading and fatigue of insect cuticle
7 Conclusion
Chapter 12. Shaping up: Morphometric approaches to understanding insect behavioural ecology and ecomorphology
1 Introduction
2 Ecological morphology and its quantification in insects
2.1 Geometric morphometrics and the characterization of ecomorphological relationships
2.2 Mouthpart morphology, feeding behaviour and diet
2.3 Wing and elytra morphology in the context of flight performance
2.4 Form-function relationship and specializations in habitat use
3 Secondary sexual characters: morphology and reproduction
3.1 Traits and their relationship with functional morphology in intrasexual selection
3.2 Size and shape variation of exaggerated structures in intrasexual competition
3.3 Sexual dimorphism related to environmental conditions
4 Future research avenues
Part IV. Case studies
Chapter 13. Morphological adaptations of beetles to changing living conditions in the Permian and the Mesozoic
1 Introduction
2 Palaeoecological background
2.1 Carboniferous
2.2 Permian
2.3 Palaeozoic–Mesozoic boundary
2.4 Triassic and Jurassic
2.5 Late Mesozoic
3 Evolutionary and ecomorphological transformations in Coleoptera
3.1 Origin and earliest evolution of Coleoptera
3.2 Early evolutionary transformations
3.3 Ancestral beetle larvae?
3.4 Evolutionary shifts around the Permian-Triassic boundary
3.5 Possible aquatic groups of Archostemata
3.6 Rise of the Adephaga and shifts to predacious and aquatic habits
3.7 Myxophaga and a minor aquatic radiation
3.8 Late emergence of Polyphaga and more aquatic radiations
3.9 Cretaceous explosion and outlook
4 Conclusions
Chapter 14. Ecomorphology of microinsects
1 Introduction: why size is so important for insects
2 The advantages and disadvantages of miniature size of insects
3 The definition and overview of microinsects
4 Insect miniaturization is usually irreversible
5 Sexual dimorphism and miniaturization
6 Parasitism and miniaturization
7 Ecology of particular microinsect groups
7.1 Zoraptera
7.2 Thysanoptera
7.3 Hemiptera
7.4 Psocodea
7.5 Hymenoptera
7.6 Strepsiptera
7.7 Coleoptera
7.8 Lepidoptera
7.9 Siphonaptera
7.10 Diptera
7.11 Other insect orders
7.12 Conclusion
8 The major evolutionary trends in microinsect morphology
9 Steps of miniaturization
10 Limits to miniaturization
11 Prospects for studying microinsects
Chapter 15. Nectar-feeding ecology, ecomorphological adaptations and variation of proboscis length in a long-proboscid fly (Diptera: Nemestrinidae: Prosoeca)
1 Introduction
2 Morphology of the feeding apparatus of Prosoeca
2.1 Proboscis morphology
2.2 Nectar uptake by suction pumps
2.3 Alimentary tract
3 Feeding behaviour of Prosoeca marinusi
4 Quantitative estimates of nectar uptake performance
5 Local covariation of proboscis and nectar tube lengths
6 Conclusion
Chapter 16. Ecomorphology of ants
1 Introduction
1.1 The diversity and morphology of ants
2 Ant morphology, life history and ecology
2.1 Morphological theory as it relates to ants
2.2 Ant morphology and development mediate life history
2.3 Morphology, ecology and the notions of ‘generalized’ versus ‘specialized’ ants
2.4 What are ant ecomorphs?
3 Sensory ecology
3.1 Can ants hear? Sensing sound, vibration and self
3.2 The visual system: Simple and compound eyes
4 Towards performance ecology of the ant head: Functional morphology
4.1 Overview of ant head anatomy
4.2 Many-to-one mapping of function and structure: Antennae
4.3 Mandibles: Better than the bird's beak
4.3.1 Mandibular form
4.3.2 Mandibular function
5 Power amplification: The evolution of extreme performance in ants
5.1 Power amplification mechanisms in ants
5.2 How to be a trap-jaw ant
5.2.1 Structural similarities of trap jaws
5.2.2 Trap-jaw performance
5.2.3 Performance to action: Behaviour and ecology
5.3 Discussion: The evolution and ecomorphospace of trap-jaw ants
6 Body size and basic patterns of locomotion
7 Trait-based ecology
7.1 Brief overview
7.2 Surface sculpture and setation
7.2.1 Hair and cuticle morphology
7.2.2 Hair and cuticle ecology
7.3 Dispersal traits
7.4 Are ‘castes’ a trait?
7.4.1 Queen madness: The typological trap of ant morphs
8 Conclusion
Part V. Biomimetics
Chapter 17. Ways in which insect biomimetics can benefit from ecomorphological research and vice versa
1 Introduction
2 A plethora of examples from insect biomimetics
2.1 Mouthparts and feeding
2.2 Vision and optics
2.3 Flight
2.4 Leg-driven locomotion
2.4.1 Locomotion on land
2.4.2 Locomotion on the surface of water
2.5 Attachment
2.6 Oviposition
2.7 Sensing and sensors
2.7.1 Infrared sensing
2.7.2 Auditory perception
2.7.3 Sensing airflows
2.8 Fluid transport
3 Reverse biomimetics
3.1 Vision and optics
3.2 Flight
3.3 Leg-driven locomotion
3.4 Attachment
3.5 Sensing and sensors
3.6 Fluid transport
3.7 Final remarks
4 Outlook and conceptual integration
Index
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Insect Ecomorphology

Linking Functional Insect Morphology to Ecology and Evolution

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