Organization of deutocerebral neuropils and olfactory behavior in the centipede Scutigera coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Myriapoda: Chilopoda)

Myriapods represent an arthropod lineage, that originating from a marine arthropod ancestor most likely conquered land independently from hexapods and crustaceans. Establishing aerial olfaction during a transition from the ocean to land requires molecules to be detected in gas phase instead of in water solution. Considering that the olfactory sense of myriapods has evolved independently from that in hexapods and crustaceans, the question arises if and how myriapods have solved the tasks of odor detection and odor information processing in air. Comparative studies between arthropod taxa that independently have established a terrestrial life style provide a powerful means of investigating the evolution of chemosensory adaptations in this environment and to understand how the arthropod nervous system evolved in response to new environmental and ecological challenges. In general, the neuroethology of myriapods and the architecture of their central nervous systems are insufficiently understood. In a set of experiments with the centipede Scutigera coleoptrata, we analyzed the central olfactory pathway with serial semi-thin sectioning combined with 3-dimensional reconstruction, antennal backfilling with neuronal tracers, and immunofluorescence combined with confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Furthermore, we conducted behavioral experiments to find out if these animals react to airborne stimuli. Our results show that the primary olfactory and mechanosensory centers are well developed in these organisms but that the shape of the olfactory neuropils in S. coleoptrata is strikingly different when compared with those of hexapods and malacostracan crustaceans. Nevertheless, the presence of distinct neuropils for chemosensory and mechanosensory qualities in S. coleoptrata, malacostracan Crustacea, and Hexapoda could indicate a common architectural principle within the Mandibulata. Furthermore, behavioral experiments indicate that S. coleoptrata is able to perceive airborne stimuli, both from live prey and from a chemical extract of the prey. These results are in line with the morphological findings concerning the well-developed olfactory centers in the deutocerebrum of this species.