Short-term particulate matter contamination severely compromises insect antennal olfactory perception.

The consequences of sub-lethal levels of ambient air pollution are underestimated for insects, for example, the accumulation of particulate matter on sensory receptors located on their antennae may have detrimental effects to their function. Here we show that the density of particulate matter on the antennae of houseflies (Musca domestica) collected from an urban environment increases with the severity of air pollution. A combination of behavioural assays, electroantennograms and transcriptomic analysis provide consistent evidence that a brief exposure to particulate matter pollution compromises olfactory perception of reproductive and food odours in both male and female houseflies. Since particulate matter can be transported thousands of kilometres from its origin, these effects may represent an additional factor responsible for global declines in insect numbers, even in pristine and remote areas.

Comparative morphology of antennal ultrastructure in Tachinidae parasitoid flies (Diptera): The phylogenetic importance of antennal sensilla.

Tachinidae are one of the most diverse clades of Diptera. All tachinids are parasitoids of insects and other arthropods, and thus are considered an important source of biological pest control. Antennae are the most important olfactory organs of Tachinidae playing key roles in their lives, especially in locating hosts, and details of antennal ultrastructure could provide useful features for phylogenetic studies and understanding their adaptive evolution. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance of antennae, the current knowledge of antennal ultrastructure is scarce for Tachinidae. Our study examined antennal sensilla of thirteen species belonging to thirteen genera within eleven tribes of all the four subfamilies (Phasiinae, Dexiinae, Tachininae, and Exoristinae): Beskia aelops Walker, Trichodura sp., Voria ruralis (Fallén), Zelia sp., Cylindromyia carinata Townsend, Phasia xenos Townsend, Neomintho sp., Genea australis (Townsend), Copecrypta sp., Hystricia sp., Belvosia sp., Leschenaultia sp., and Winthemia pinguis (Fabricius). Types, length and distribution of antennal sensilla were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our comparative analysis summarized 29 variable characters and we evaluated their phylogenetic signal for subfamilial, tribal and generic/specific levels, showing that antennal ultrastructure could be a reliable source of characters for phylogenetic analysis. Our findings demonstrate the remarkable diversity of the antennal ultrastructure of Tachinidae.

Ultrastructure of Antennal Sensory Organs in Nine Flesh Flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): New Insight into the Definition of Family Sarcophagidae.

The antennae are the main olfactory organ of flies, playing key roles in their survival and the success of all life stages. Antennal ultrastructural morphology has been well described in the representative species of most calyptrate families, yet only a few studies have focused on Sarcophagidae species, those with ecological and medical relevance. Antennal morphology and the types, shapes, distribution, and density of the antennal sensilla of nine Sarcophagidae species are studied in detail with scanning electron microscopy, including Miltogramminae: Metopia campestris (Fallén) and Mesomelena mesomelaena (Loew), Paramacronychiinae: Agria mihalyii (Rohdendorf & Verves), Wohlfahrtia bella (Macquart), and W. magnifica (Schiner); Sarcophaginae: Sarcophaga (Parasarcophaga) albiceps Meigen, S. (Bercaea) africa (Wiedemann), S. (Boettcherisca) peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy), and S. (Liosarcophaga) portschinskyi (Rohdendorf), covering all three subfamilies of this family. The morphology of the three segments of the antennae has been described. The scape has only one type of chaetic sensilla, while three subtypes of chaetic sensilla were detected on the pedicel. The postpedicel has four types of sensilla: trichoid sensilla, coeloconic sensilla, clavate sensilla, and three subtypes of basiconic sensilla. Bottle-shaped sensilla were observed in sensory pits on the postpedicel in all nine species. These sensilla have not been discovered in other calyptrate species, suggesting that they are a potential sarcophagid synapomorphy.

Antennal and palpal sensilla of three predatory Lispe species (Diptera: Muscidae): an ultrastructural investigation.

Antennae and maxillary palps are the most important chemical reception organs of flies. So far, the morphology of antennae and maxillary palps of flies of most feeding habits have been well described, except for that of relatively rare aquatic predatory species. This study describes sensilla on antennae and maxillary palps of three aquatic predatory Lispe species: Lispe longicollis, L. orientalis and L. pygmaea. Types, distribution, and density of sensilla are characterised via light and scanning electron microscopy. One type of mechanoreceptors is found on antennal scape. Mechanoreceptors (two subtypes) and one single pedicellar button (in L. pygmaea) are located on antennal pedicel. Four types of sensilla are discovered on antennal postpedicel: trichoid sensilla, basiconic sensilla (three subtypes), coeloconic sensilla and clavate sensilla. A unique character of these Lispe species is that the coeloconic sensilla are distributed sparsely on antennal postpedicel. Mechanoreceptors and basiconic sensilla are observed on the surface of maxillary palps in all three species. We demonstrated clear sexual dimorphism of the maxillary palps in some of the Lispe species, unlike most other Muscidae species, are larger in males than females. This, along with their courtship dance behaviour, suggest their function as both chemical signal receiver and visual signal conveyer, which is among the few records of a chemical reception organ act as a signal conveyer in insects.