Synchrotron X-ray microscopic computed tomography of the pump system of a female mosquito.

ABSTRACT

The pumping organ of blood-sucking female mosquitoes has a three-dimensional (3D) structure. However, conventional two-dimensional imaging methods are insufficient for visualizing the 3D structure in detail. Furthermore, their 3D imaging tasks are highly time consuming and sample preparation process requires elaborate skill. Among 3D imaging techniques, synchrotron X-ray microscopic computed tomography (SR-µCT) is especially suitable for small insects with opaque cuticles, such as mosquitoes. In this study, the 3D morphological structure of the pump system of a female mosquito was visualized using SR-µCT. Expandable volume capacities of two pump chambers were measured for several mosquito samples of similar size. To verify the cross-sectional images acquired by SR-µCT, complementary paraffin-sectioning data were compared.