11/3/2015

Spiracle types and closure mechanisms: valves & atria

EXTERNAL-VALVED, ATRIATE SPIRACLE
(with external Type 1 “lip closure”)
lip
atrium

INTERNAL-VALVED,
NON-VALVED, dust- ATRIATE SPIRACLE
NON-ATRIATE SPIRACLE closer catching
muscle setae filter apparatus

atrium
closer
muscle

Classification:
• non-valved (non-
atriate & atriate
• external-valved (non-
atriate & atriate)
ant spiracle
(open) grasshopper spiracle • internal-valved (non-
(closed) atriate & atriate

Spiracle types and closure, continued (all atriate)

valves

trachea internal INTERNAL-VALVED

sclerotized (with opposed muscles)
pad
internal
cuticular trachea
occlusor muscle process

EXTERNAL-VALVED
(with Type 2 lip closure)

head louse spiracle occlusor

INTERNAL-VALVED
(occlusor muscle only)
dilator
elastic cuticular
process

Atrial functions:
trachea
• air filtration (dust & pollen)
occlusor • H2O conservation
• glandular secretions (stink)
• acoustics (courtship)
Psocodea: Anoplura

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Protective hairs
Trabeculae
and teeth on lips
of spiracles
(often hydrofuge,
i.e. non-wettable)

armature

Spiracular filtering & humidifying devices (e.g. Orthoptera)

felt chambers

sieve plates
(a bit like the
grillwork on
automobiles)

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Spiracular sound-making devices (e.g. Blaberidae)

Gromphadorhina portentosa:
Tracheal tube to 2nd abdominal
spiracle has the form of an
“exponential horn”

spiracle

Directional hearing in crickets (Orthoptera)

= mesothoracic spiracles
= tympanal organs in front tibiae MESOTHORACIC
SPIRACLE

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Capacitative loading of tymbals & ears

in cicadas (Hemiptera)
tymbal muscle
tymbal
tymbal

air sacs
(provide acoustic loading

tympanum (ear)

pleural & sternal phragmata

Magicicada septendecim

Aquatic respiratory (non-) adaptation:

Cutaneous diffusion in spongillafly larva (Neuroptera: Sisyridae)
0.25" long

Critical:
• small size
• low needs
• cold temp
tracheal system“closed” or not present

Also: 1st instar Simuliidae, Chironomidae (Diptera)

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Aquatic respiratory adaptations: gills & siphons

N2+O2 O2 air
hydrofuge hairs
“open” tracheal separated
system
O2
CO2
“closed” “snorkel”
system (Ranatra: Hemiptera)
Tracheal gills
• Odonata
• Ephemeroptera Siphons hairs closed over spiracle
• Plecoptera
• Hemiptera
• Megaloptera
• Diptera
• Trichoptera

damselfly
naiad

Aedes
mosquito
larva

Culex pipiens life cycle (Diptera: Culicidae)

“open”

pupa
larva
(wriggler)

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Aquatic respiratory adaptations: bubbles in beetles & bugs

Dytiscus
beetle: Hydrophilidae
under elytra beetle: ventral

sternal
“keel”
“open”

Notonectidae, Hemiptera
dorsal & ventral

Aquatic Hemiptera: four families,

siphons & bubbles (& just skaters)

water strider:
Gerridae, Gerris

backswimmer:
Notonectidae, Notonecta

water boatman:
Corixidae, Corixa

water scorpion:
Nepidae, Nepa

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Aquatic respiration by an air bubble:

Dytiscus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)
air

“open” system spiracle

subelytral cavity

trachea

Gaseous plastron – Aphelocheirus (Hemiptera)

Has been likened to a “physical gill.”

H2O
“Open” system: openings

H2O

H2O epithelium
cuticular
5 μ AIR filaments of
plastron hairs end of trachea “creeping
(microtrichia) (spiracle) water bug”

Elmis (Coleoptera)
macroplastron
hairs
100μ erect
plastron

20 μ hairs flattened

Hydrophilus (Coleoptera)
“riffle beetle”

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Gaseous plastron – Aphelocheirus (Hemiptera), detail

Spiracular rosette
Tiny circles & buds are minute
openings of the spiracle.

Note the importance of AIR in the

“physical gill,” not just O2

Blood gills (Ex. = anus of Simulium pictipes larva – Diptera)

No tracheal
system:

hemolymph
Typical adult “black fly”

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Spiracular gills (Ex. = Hydroscapha natans – Coleoptera)

Everted tracheal
system (closed)

larva

adults
actual
size

Hemoglobin for respiration Hemoglobin for buoyancy

(Ex = Chironomus spp. – Diptera) and respiration
(Ex. = Anisops sp. –
Notonectidae, Hemiptera)

Live where O2 is at low tension.

Facultative presence of hemoglobin
(w/ 27x O2 affinity of vertebrate form).

Heterogeneous subunits aggregate

upon deoxygenation; they control
release of O2 into a gas bubble,
allowing mid-water position.
(energy conservation)
No tracheal system in larvae.
An association-disassociation equilibrium

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Respiratory siphon
for puncturing plant stems

saw

(“Open” system, as in all

siphon breathers)

teeth
(around
spiracle
spiracle)

Mansonia and Coquillettidia

mosquito larvae
(Diptera: Culicidae) trachea

Other orders:
• Coleoptera
• more Diptera

Tapping underwater plant stems for air in Donacia

(a “long-horned” leaf beetle – Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

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Tapping underwater plant stems for air in Chrysogaster

(Syrphidae: Diptera)

spiracle

(Larvae live in mud & ooze as detritivores)

“Aquatic” endoparasite: Hypoderma larva

abdominal
spiracles

“head”

(“Open” system, as in
all siphon breathers) spiracle

mouth hooks

Also: tapping tracheae

and caudal filaments
(Diptera: Tachinidae)

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Pontomyia sp. (Diptera: Chironomidae) – a marine insect

Male (female is larva-like

& subaquatic. Adults live
only a few hours.)

lagoons & tide pools

Reduced wing –
Skate on water
instead of fly

Marine invasions: RARE

• only Collembola plus a few Hemiptera,
Trichoptera, Diptera, & Coleoptera
• Why not? Probably biotic/historical
constraints (Crustacea got there first!)

Halobates fijiensis, another marine insect (Hemiptera: Gerridae)

Distribution of juveniles along upper shore and mangrove transects
high tide

low
tide

high tide

Distribution along an open-water transect

juveniles

adults

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Pattern of Circulation
antennal wing wing heart
ampulla ampulla
excurrent ostium incurrent
antenna
ostium

leg ampulla

leg nerve dorsal & ventral septa

dorsal vessel cord with fenestrae at
heart
(aorta) edges

leg
ganglion
extension of
ventral septum

Segmental vessels
in Blaberus
aorta or (2 pairs thoracic,
dorsal vessel 4 pairs abdominal)
segmental or
lateral vessel

heart

incurrent
ostium
dorsal
diaphragm
tergo-sternal
muscle

segmental or
lateral vessel

alary (aliform)
muscle

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