The thorax musculature of Anisoptera (Insecta: Odonata) nymphs and its evolutionary relevance.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Among the winged insects (Pterygota) the Odonata (dragon- and damselflies) are special for several reasons. They are strictly aerial predators showing remarkable flight abilities and their thorax morphology differs significantly from that of other Pterygota in terms of the arrangement and number of muscles. Even within one individual the musculature is significantly different between the nymphal and adult stage.

Results

Here we present a comparative morphological investigation of the thoracic musculature of dragonfly (Anisoptera) nymphs. We investigated representatives of the Libellulidae, Aeshnidae and Cordulegasteridae and found 71 muscles: 19 muscles in the prothorax, 26 in the mesothorax and 27 in the metathorax. Nine of these muscles were previously unknown i

SUBMITTER: Busse S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4228402 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature