The structure of lerps: Carbohydrate,lipid, and protein components

Chemical analyses and studies by scanning electron microscopy were made of the lerps of Lasiopsylla rotundipennis and of Cardiaspina albitextura. Unlike the open, lace-like structure of the lerp of C. albitextura, the lerp of L. rotundipennis is a solid shell with a surface structure of repeated parallel arcs. Lerps of both species consist mainly of starch, but also contain protein and lipid. In addition, the lerp of L. rotundipennis is associated with proteinaceous spiral filaments secreted by glands on the ventral abdomen.