Miniaturisation effects in larvae and adults of Mikado sp. (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae), one of the smallest free-living insects |
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| Authors: | Alexey A Polilov Rolf G Beutel |
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| Institution: | 1. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia;2. Institut fur Spezielle Zoologie and Evolutionsbiologie, FSU Jena, Jena, Germany;1. Key Lab of Insect Evolution and Environmental Change, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China;2. Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA;1. LOMC, UMR 6294, CNRS-University of Le Havre, CS80540, F-76058 Le Havre Cedex, France;2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751, Republic of Korea;1. COPPE/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro P.O. Box 68509, Rio de Janeiro 21945-970, Brazil;2. Physics Institute/State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;3. Physics Institute/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;4. Laboratory of Biochemistry and Physiology of Insects/Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Brazil;5. Department of General Biology/Federal University Fluminense, Brazil;6. Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Italy;7. Elettra–Sincrotrone Trieste ScpA, Italy;1. Department of Mathematics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;2. Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore;2. Department of Nephrology, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore |
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| Abstract: | We present the first morphological study of larvae and adults of Mikado sp. – one of the smallest known beetles and free-living insects (body length of adult is 390–455 μm). Morphological and developmental consequences of miniaturisation in Mikado and insects in general are discussed. We used histological sectioning, scanning electron microscopy, laser confocal microscopy and 3D-computer reconstruction. For the first time we report that according to the morphometric data of Mikado sp., at least some ptiliid beetles have three larval stages. We studied the muscular system of adults and larval stages. It is shown that ptiliid beetles have nearly the complete set of muscles found in larger staphyliniform beetles. Developmental and size dependent changes in the relative volume of different organs are addressed. All organ systems change allometrically in the development of Mikado sp. as well as in comparison with larger representatives of Ptiliidae and closely related groups of beetles, such as Staphylinidae. We conclude that the factors limiting miniaturisation are the size of the neural system, associated with the number and size of neurons, the mass of the skeleton, the egg size (free-living insects), and consequently the volume of the reproductive system. |
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