Cuticular microstructure of the locust femur-tibia joint.

ABSTRACT: In insect exoskeletons, articular membranes connect the sclerotized hard segments within joints, ensuring protection, mobility, and resilience to mechanical stresses. During exoskeletal movement, these membranes experience tensile and compressive forces, leading to either stretching or the formation of cuticular folds. The mechanisms underlying cuticular folding remain unclear, particularly whether folds are regular (specific) or irregular (non-specific) and how cuticle ultrastructure influences folding patterns. To address these questions, we examined the femur-tibia joints in the mesothoracic legs of locusts (Locusta migratoria) using non-destructive micro-CT, histological methods, and scanning electron microscopy. The joints were analyzed at different flexion angles and maturity stages

SUBMITTER: Bruns C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12352281 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature