Histological Observation of Helmet Development in the Treehopper < em > Poppea capricornis < /em > (Insecta: Hemiptera: Membracidae)

Zoolog Sci. 2024 Apr;41(2):167-176. doi: 10.2108/zs230039.ABSTRACTThe treehoppers (Hemiptera, Membracidae) are known for possessing a large three-dimensional structure called a helmet. Although some ecological functions of the helmet have already been elucidated, the developmental mechanisms underlying the complex and diverse morphology of the helmet are still largely unknown. The process of helmet formation was first described in Antianthe expansa, which possesses a simple roof-shaped helmet. However, the developmental process in species with more complex helmet morphologies remains largely unexplored. Hence, in this study, we used Poppea capricornis, which possesses a more complex helmet structure than A. expansa, to investigate the helmet development using paraffin sections, micro-CT, and scanning electronic microscopy. Our focus was on the overall helmet developmental process common to both species and formation of structures unique to Poppea and its comparison to Antianthe. As a result, we discovered that miniature structures were also formed in Poppea, similar to Antianthe, during the helmet formation. Common structures that were shared between the two species were discernible at this stage. Additionally, we observed that suprahumeral horns and posterior horns, two morphological traits specific to the Poppea helmet that are apparently similar anatomically, are formed through two distinctly different developmental mechanisms. The suprahumeral horns appeared to be formed ...

Source: Zoological Science - April 8, 2024 Category: Zoology Authors: Kanta Sugiura Tensho Terano Haruhiko Adachi Jin Hagiwara Keisuke Matsuda Kenji Nishida Paul Hanson Shigeru Kondo Hiroki Gotoh Source Type: research