2. Origin of Antenna
It is mobile jointed appendages found in pair and
articulated with head in front or between the eyes. The
base of the antenna is set into a small membranous area of
the head called the antennal socket.
The rim of the socket is often strengthened by an internal
submarginal ridge formed by an external inflection, the
antennal suture. Usually a pivot like process on the rim of
the antennal socket forms a special support and articular
point for the base of the scape, allowing the antenna a free
motion in all directions.
The pivot or antennifer, is generally ventral but is not
always so, and in some cases it is obsolete or absent.
3. Structure of Antenna
Antenna is consists of three parts:
1. Scape: It is the first (basal) segment of antenna, which articulates
with the head capsule through antennifer that provides movement for
the scape.
2. Pedicel: It is the 2nd or middle segment of antenna that forms a
joint between scape and flagellum. It consists of the special
auditory organ known as “Jhonston’s organ”. Jhonston’s organ is absent in collembola & diplura.
3. Flagellum: It is the last antennal segment which consists of many segments that varies in shape and size.
The remaining part of antenna and it varies greatly in forms of different families of insects. E.g. In chalcidoidea
(geniculate antenna) the flagellum is divisible into ring like structure or ring structure as well as funicle or club
like segments.
4. Function of Antenna
The main function of antennae is sensory, which is modified according to use and need of insect
as given below.
1. Organs of smell:
In some insects the smell organs (sensoria) are situated in the antennae by which they
recognize their food etc. Ants, honey bee and jaint moths.
Smaller "sensilla" occur on various parts of the antennae.
Most important are sensory hairs.
Sensilla are often concentrated in particular regions.
Functions of sensilla are tectile and smell receptors, contact receptors, hygroreceptors and
temperate receptors.
2. Organs of taste:
Some insects bear taste hair on their antennae by which they know the taste of their food e.g.
Cockroach.
3. Stridulatorial organs:
Sound producing organs are located in the antennae of some insects belonging to the orders
coleopteran and orthoptera e.g. Crickets.
5. 4. Organs of chordotonal:
The hearing organs often knows as johnston’s organ are situated in the second segment
(pedicel) of antenna e.g. Male mosquito, green bottle fly and paper wasp etc.
5. Sexual characters (taxonomic importance):
In some of the insects belonging to the order diptera and hemiptera, the antennae are found
of different type in male and female e.g. Pilose antennae in certain female mosquito
(Diptera), plumose antennae in male mosquito (Diptera).
6. Other functions:
To find the foods.
To find the ways.
To warrant against danger.
To find mate.
To communicate with other members.
In larvae of hymenoptera and diptera, the antennae are reduced to minute tubercles.
In newly hatched larva of hydrophilus the antennae assist the mandibles in masticating the
prey.
In butterflies having some transmitting and receving organs in their antennae.
6. Modification of Insect Antennae
1. Filiform (Thread like) :-
• Segments are more or less uniform and cylindrical
in shape while size reduced towards distal ends.
• E.g. Orthoptera (Grass hopper, crickets),
Dictyoptera(mantids), Coleoptera (ground beetle,
tiger beetle), Dermeptera (earwigs)
2. Moniliform (Bead like):-
• All the segments are spherical (oval) in shape and
uniform in thickness.
• E.g. Isoptera(Termite worker), Coleoptera (rove
beetle)
7. 3. Setaceous (Bristle like) :-
• Segments are becoming slenderer from base
to apex (pointed).
• E.g. Dictyoptera (Cockroach), Odonata
(dragonflies, damselflies), Hemiptera
(aphids, whiteflies, hoppers)
4. Serrate (Teeth of saw like):-
• Each segment is projected towards
one direction and triangular in shape.
• E.g. Coleoptera (Mango stem borer,
pulse beetle)
8. 5. Clavate (Clubbed shaped):-
• Segment gradually enlarges towards the
distal end. Last few segments are round
cone like.
• E.g. Lepidoptera (Cabbage butterfly).
Coleoptera (Khapra beetle, Leaf
weevils etc.)
6. Capitate (Knob like):
• Segment gradually enlarges towards
the distal end and enlarged to form a
knob like structure.
• E.g. Lepidoptera (Lemon butterfly),
Coleoptera (red flour beetle, blister
beetles).
9. 7. Pectinate (Comb like):
• The antennal segment have long
processes on one side of antenna and it
appears as a comb.
• E.g. Lepidoptera (Sugarcane root borer),
Coleoptera (firefly beetle, soldier
beetle), Hymenoptera (Sawfly)
8.Bipectinate (Double comb like):
• Segments have long processes on
both the sides of antenna.
• E.g. Lepidoptera (silk moth,
sheep moth)
10. 9. Lamellate (Leaf like):
• Terminal segments expand to one side
into lateral oval lobes.
• E.g. Coleoptera (Dung roller,
Rhinoceros beetle)
10. Flabellate (fan-shaped):
• The terminal segments extend
laterally, with long, parallel lobes that
lie flat against one another like the
folds of a fan.
• E.g. Male strepsiptera, Stylopids etc.
11. 11. Plumose (Feather like):
• Between each segment, there is a
bunch of hairs and makes feather like
structure.
• e.g. Male mosquito (Diptera)
12. Pilose:
• Looks like plumose but each whorl
contains less numbers of hairs.
• E.g. Female Mosquito (Diptera)
12. 13. Aristate:
• First segment is smaller and broader
while the second is longer than first.
The flagellum is longer than both and
bears a bristle called arista on its dorsal
side.
• E.g. Diptera (House fly, syrphid fly)
14. Stylate: (Spine like)
• Terminal segment elongate into
long bristle called as stylate.
• E.g. Diptera (Robber fly, snipe fly)
13. 15. Geniculate (Elbow like):
• Typical antenna of the insect.
• The antenna bent abruptly at the distal end of scape and the
flagellum is at right angle to the scape.
• e.g. Hymenoptera (Honey bee, Ants)
Ant Honey bee