RECEPTION & INTEGRATION: Objectives

The Nervous System 1. Describe the origin of the insect

nervous system.
2. Identify the major structures of the
insect nervous system and
describe their function.
3. Compare and contrast the physical
structure and functions of
compound eyes and simple eyes.
4. Differentiate between the two types
of simple eyes.
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5. Describe the four types of
mechanical receptors insects
possess.

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Introduction Human Olfaction

Have you ever thought about how insects receive
information from their environment? Nerve cells are also called neurons. The binding of the
chemical causes your olfactory nerves to fire and send a message to
your brain. There the brain interprets the message and fires another
We use our five senses, but what about insects?
nerve cell in response that stimulates your salivary glands. You begin
•Sight
to salivate and are prepared to eat.
•Sound
•Touch
•Smell
•Taste

Actually – insect senses are different from those of vertebrates. nerve

3 (All this talk about food is making me hungry.) 4

Insect Olfaction Nervous System Development

The insect nervous system arises during embryonic development from cells
Insects smell in a similar way. Their olfactory neurons are not enclosed
called neuroblasts located in the ectoderm. These neuroblasts first develop
in a nasal cavity, but within their antennae, mouthparts, or legs. When
into a mass of nerve cells called a ganglion (plural ganglia). Two ganglia
a female moth sends out a chemical to attract a mate, the male moth
form in each segment and they begin to connect with each other as neuron
picks up the chemical molecules with his antennae where his olfactory
fibers grow out from each ganglion.
neurons are located. These neurons fire a message to his brain which
interprets the signals and stimulates neurons that cause the male to
fly--migrating toward the female's scent.

Hemiptera: Pentatomidae

Antennae of a male moth of Trictena atripalpis: (a) anterior view of the head; (b)
cross-section through the antenna showing the antenna is branched three
times; (c) enlargement of the tip of one of the branches showing olfactory hairs.
(modified from Gullan & Cranston, 2005, pg. 100)
Representation of nervous system development. (a)
5 neuroblast formation; (b) neurblasts form ganglia and 6
ganglia interconnect; (c) ganglia fusion. (modified from Elzinga,
2000, pg. 91)

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Ganglia fusion Nervous System Functions
The insect nervous system is ventrally located, running from the head down below the
digestive system. The supraesophageal ganglion, as its name implies, lies above the
esophagus (supra-, above). It is made up of three main lobes, the protocerebrum, the
deutocerebrum and tritocerebrum. We will discuss each of their functions on the next
slide. The subesophageal ganglion is located below the esophagus. It coordinates and
controls the maxilla, mandibles and labium.

Insect brain and associated

structures (modified from Elzinga, 2000, pg. 93).

Ganglia fusion from primitive to specialized insects. (modified from Elzinga,2000, pg. 92)

As development continues, the first three ganglia pair eventually fuse to

form a structure called the supraesophageal ganglion and the fourth
through sixth pairs fuse to form the subesophageal ganglion. The
remaining ganglion pairs fuse and form the ventral nerve cord.
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Note: The human nervous system is just opposite-it is dorsally located along our back.

Supraesophageal Ganglia Functions Neurons

To get some background knowledge of how the nervous system is organized, please
The protocerebrum receives and processes nerves signals
fill in the definition section of your study guide.
from the insect's eyes then interprets the message and sends a
response.
Soma (perikarya) - the cell body of the
neuron that contains the nucleus and
The deutocerebrum receives impulses from the antenna,
typical cellular organelles.
interprets the message and controls the movement of the
antenna. As a male moth detects pheromones with his antenna,
the antennal nerves send a message to the Axon the long, thin cytoplasmic
deutocerebrum. This lobe will then fire the appropriate neurons extension that conducts the
to get the male moth moving towards the female
female. nerve impulse.
i l

The tritocerebrum receives input from the labrum nerves,

subesophageal ganglion and assists in controlling the digestive, Dendrite the region of
circulatory and endocrine systems. It helps control the corpora information input.
allata, an endocrine gland which secretes Juvenile Hormone.

(modified from Daly, et. al, 1998, pg. 125)

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Eyes Simple Eyes - Ocelli

There are three kinds of insect eyes you will learn about including Ocelli (singular, ocellus) are usually located on the frons or on the top of the
the compound eye and two simple eyes, the ocelli and stemmata. head. Each ocellus is made up of a corneal lens, several rhabdoms and
neurons. Pigment cells surround the outer rim of the rhabdom cluster.

Simple eyes: (a) Stemmata of caterpillar; (b) dorsal Longitudinal sections through the rhabdoms in simple
ocelli of a stinkbug; (c) three dorsal ocelli, cicada eys. Stemma of a caterpillar. Ocellus of an adult bug.
(modified from Romoser & Stoffolano, 1998, pg. 32). (modified from Gullan & Cranston, 2005, pg. 107)

carpenter ant head showing position of ocelli

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Simple Eyes - Stemmata Compound Eyes
Stemmata (singular, stemma) are structurally intermediate between ocelli and
compound eyes. Each facet is called an ommatidium. The ommatidium has a corneal lens,
crystalline cone, rhabdom, and pigment cells. Light is focused by the lens and
the cone onto the color pigments located in the rhabdom.

Simple eyes: (a) Stemmata of caterpillar; (b) dorsal ocelli of a stinkbug; (c)
three dorsal ocelli, cicada (Romoser & Stoffolano, 1998, pg. 32).

Longitudinal section through one ommatidium, with

enlargement showing transverse section (Gullan &
Cranston, 2005, pg. 108).
Longitudinal sections through the rhabdoms in simple eys. Stemma of a caterpillar. Ocellus of 13 14
an adult bug. (Gullan & Cranston, 2005, pg. 107)

Predator Eyes Video – Bee Cam

large
g compound
p eyes
y - damselflyy

large compound eyes – tiger beetle

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Throughout the course units, you will be asked to view short video clips. Please
understand that many of these video clips are copyrighted and are NOT to be used
large compound eyes – deer fly outside of this class and only may be used for this semester.
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Please do not copy or distribute these clips.

Eye Summary Receptors

chemoreceptors
Table 1 – Summary of eye types

Eye: Ocellus Stemma Ommatidium

Type: Simple Simple Compound
Nymphs and adults of many Nearly all adult insects and some Insects smell by capturing small
Insects: kinds of insects
holometabolous larva
hemimetabolous nymphs
molecules of scent floating in the
Many rhabdoms in one ocellus. One rhabdom per stemma.
One rhabdom per ommatidium. air. These molecules enter a
Many ommatidia in one eye.
sensillum, (sensilla, plural) like
th one depicted
the d i t d on ththe lleft,
ft
Lens and crystalline lens
Lens, no crystalline structures. similar to lens and crystalline One lens and crystalline cone. through tiny pores. There are two
Structures:
cone in compound eye. classes of sensilla, uniporus and
miltiporus.
Pigment cells surround and Pigment cells surround and
Pigment cells surround and shield adjacent
shield adjacent structures from shield adjacent structures from
ommatidia from light rays.
light rays. light rays.

Poor. Blurry. But as the

Good vision. As the number of ommatidia
number of stemmata increase
Image: Poor. Blurry.
on the insect, the better the
increase per eye, so does the image
resolution. Forms a mult-faceted image.
vision.

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Longitudinal section through a multiporous sensillum.
(modified from Gullan & Cranston, 2005, pg. 99)

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Chemoreceptors
Chemoreception is the ability to sense molecules through taste and smell
(olfaction). Taste and olfaction are very similar processes and the sensory
structures involved are likewise similar.
Chemoreceptors are what give insects the ability to taste. The sense of taste
is extremely well developed in some insects.
Olfaction
For many, if not most insects, olfaction is the single most important type of
sensory perception. A common use of olfaction is for the location of food.
The other important use of olfaction is the location of a suitable mate. This is
done by releasing odors we call pheromones.

(Just think about that the next time one lands on you or your hamburger.)

Regal moth, Citheronia regalis (Fabricius)

UF
house fly on soda can 19 20

Mechanoreceptors Trichoid Sensilla

Trichoid sensilla are hair-like setae
that have a single dendrite attached
to their base. When these sensilla are
brushed, the movement of the hair is
immediately sensed by the firing of a
neuron. That firing transmits an
impulse to the rest of the nervous
system. These trichoid sensilla are
not only used to sense what’s passing
b th
by the iinsect’s
t’ bbody,
d ththey are also
l
used to sense the relative position of
the insect's appendages.

Sensilla located at a joint, called hair-plate sensilla, showing how the hairs
Longitudinal section of a trichoid sensillum are stimulated by contacting adjacent cuticle. (modified from Gullan & Cranston 2005,
(modified from Gullan & Cranston 2005, pg. 87). pg. 88)
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Conclusion

Mechanoreceptors Chemoreceptors Photoreceptors

All these receptors send impulses down their neurons to the ganglia of the
nervous system. This system of neurons develops from masses of tissue
during egg growth and then develops intricate structures that perform a variety
of functions.

Now when you see a housefly land on a piece of food, you will be able to think
about how it detected the food
food, what it looked like to the fly,
fly which taste
receptors he may be using, and which parts of the nervous system were used
by the fly to determine whether the food is palatable

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References
Daly, H.V., Doyen, J.T. and Purcell III, A.H., 1998. Introduction to Insect
Biology and Diversity, Oxford University Press, New York, 2nd ed.

Elzinga, R.J., 2000. Fundamentals of Entomology. Prentice Hall, Upper

Saddle River, New Jersey, 5th ed.

Gullan, P.J. and P.S. Cranston, 2005. The Insects: An outline of entomology.
Blackwell Publishing.

Romoser, W
R W.S.
S & JJ.G.
G Stoffolano.
St ff l 1998.
1998 Th
The S
Science
i off E
Entomology.
t l
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Boston. 4th ed.

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