Morphology of mouthparts
In general, mouthparts of insects are composed of four components:
• Upper lip (labrum): It is a plate that forms the top of the mouth, helping the insect pull pieces of food into the mouth.
• Mandibles (First pair of jaws): It is a pair of appendages that vary significantly in shape according to the feeding habits of the species. Jaws have lateral motion and can be used not only to cut and chew food, but also to manipulate objects and eventually fight.
• Maxillae (Second pair of jaws): It is a pair of appendages that have lateral motion just like the mandibles. They have oral structures called palps used to manipulate and handle food.
• Lower lip (labium): It is a single structure composed of two oral appendages fused together. The labium has longitudinal motion and may also possess palps. The main function of the lower lip is to close the mouth and prevent food to drop out.
In general, mouthparts of insects are composed of four components:
• Upper lip (labrum): It is a plate that forms the top of the mouth, helping the insect pull pieces of food into the mouth.
• Mandibles (First pair of jaws): It is a pair of appendages that vary significantly in shape according to the feeding habits of the species. Jaws have lateral motion and can be used not only to cut and chew food, but also to manipulate objects and eventually fight.
• Maxillae (Second pair of jaws): It is a pair of appendages that have lateral motion just like the mandibles. They have oral structures called palps used to manipulate and handle food.
• Lower lip (labium): It is a single structure composed of two oral appendages fused together. The labium has longitudinal motion and may also possess palps. The main function of the lower lip is to close the mouth and prevent food to drop out.
http://www.bio.georgiasouthern.edu/bio-home/harvey/lect/lectures.html?ccode=en&mda=scrn&flnm=en_morph&ttl=Arthropod%20morphology
Figure 4. Chewing mouthparts
Figure 4. Chewing mouthparts
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Figure 5. Chewing lapping mouthparts
These are the basic components found in most of the insects. However, some of them may be ighly modified or even absent in some taxa. There are two basic types of appendages used for feeding: Mandibulate, used for chewing, and haustellate used for sucking (Matsuda, 1965). The mandibulate type has a well-structured morphology shared among most of the taxa, while the haustellate type presents a broad range of morphological variation. One example of haustellate type is the modified mouthparts of some hemipteran. They have stylate-haustellate mouthparts, which means that they possess structures called stylets that resemble needles, used to pierce the food and conduct liquids into the mouth (Kristensen, 1991).
Mandibulate mouthparts: Oral limbs are simpler than the haustellate type, and therefore are sually found on primitive hexapods (Bitsch, 1994). Since this mouthpart type is not considered derived, it is the most common among Ectognathous taxa (Matsuda, 1965). In these animals, mandible is a hard and sclerotized appendage, able to be moved laterally in order to crunch pieces of food (Bitsch, 1994). In contrast, maxillae and lips are branched segments that resemble one another. The external branch of these appendages is called palp, and is used to help insects handle food (Anderson,1973; Sharov, 1966 ).
Figure 5. Chewing lapping mouthparts
These are the basic components found in most of the insects. However, some of them may be ighly modified or even absent in some taxa. There are two basic types of appendages used for feeding: Mandibulate, used for chewing, and haustellate used for sucking (Matsuda, 1965). The mandibulate type has a well-structured morphology shared among most of the taxa, while the haustellate type presents a broad range of morphological variation. One example of haustellate type is the modified mouthparts of some hemipteran. They have stylate-haustellate mouthparts, which means that they possess structures called stylets that resemble needles, used to pierce the food and conduct liquids into the mouth (Kristensen, 1991).
Mandibulate mouthparts: Oral limbs are simpler than the haustellate type, and therefore are sually found on primitive hexapods (Bitsch, 1994). Since this mouthpart type is not considered derived, it is the most common among Ectognathous taxa (Matsuda, 1965). In these animals, mandible is a hard and sclerotized appendage, able to be moved laterally in order to crunch pieces of food (Bitsch, 1994). In contrast, maxillae and lips are branched segments that resemble one another. The external branch of these appendages is called palp, and is used to help insects handle food (Anderson,1973; Sharov, 1966 ).
http://www.bio.georgiasouthern.edu/bio-home/harvey/lect/lectures.html?ccode=en&mda=scrn&flnm=en_morph&ttl=Arthropod%20morphology
Figure 6. Mandibulate mouthparts
Stylate-hautellate mouthparts: Insects that bear stylate-hautellate mouthparts show both the maxillae and mandibles appendages modified in stylets used to pierce the food and suck fluids into their mouth. These structures are all enclosed and protected by a labial limb that has a tube shape (Newcomer, 1948).
Figure 6. Mandibulate mouthparts
Stylate-hautellate mouthparts: Insects that bear stylate-hautellate mouthparts show both the maxillae and mandibles appendages modified in stylets used to pierce the food and suck fluids into their mouth. These structures are all enclosed and protected by a labial limb that has a tube shape (Newcomer, 1948).
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Figure 7 Piercing sucking mouthparts
Figure 7 Piercing sucking mouthparts