Eur. J. Entomol. 93 (2): 167-184, 1996
Post-moulting behaviour associated with Malpighian tubule secretions in leafhoppers and treehoppers (Auchenorrhyncha: Membracoidea)
- N/A
The acts of excreting special fluids containing the secretory products of the Malpighian tubules and smearing them onto the cuticle, referred to as anointing, were observed after moult in 12 species of subfamilies Cicadellinae, Typhlocybinae, Iassinae, Deltocephalinae, Idiocerinae, Macropsinae, Agalliinae, Ulopinae (Cicadellidae) and in Gargara genistae (F.) (Membracidae). Among the species studied anointing was not recorded in Idiocerinae nymphs and in adults of Iassus lanio (L.) only. Usually the first act of anointing was observed 1-3 hours after moulting. Nymphs of Oncopsis, Macropsis, Agallia, Ulopa and Gargara bathe in secretory drops excreted onto the plant surface, in contrast to other nymphs exuding fluids directly onto the body. The fluids excreted by adult leafhoppers of all subfamilies and by nymphs of some Deltocephalinae and Cicadella were found to contain brochosomes, secretory products of the specialized Malpighian tubules. In these cases anointing is associated with repetitive acts of grooming, resulting in formation of a coating of brochosomes on the cuticle. In contrast, the nymphs of the other leafhopper subfamilies, as well as nymphs and adults of G. genistae, secrete brochosome-free fluids, which appear distinct from faeces and contain other secretory products, which, probably, originated from the Malpighian tubules. In addition, nymphs and adults of various leafhopper species occasionally wash their tarsi with a transparent fluid (probably faeces) secreted from the anus. The functions of the brochosome-free anointing and the washing of legs remain obscure. Nevertheless, the characters related to anointing appear to be of value for the classification and assessing relationships between the higher taxa of the Membracoidea.
Keywords: Behaviour, physiology, phylogeny, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae, Membracidae, anointing, grooming, brochosomes, Malpighian tubules, secretion
Accepted: July 18, 1995; Published: August 1, 1996 Show citation
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.