in depth on planthopper gears
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in depth on planthopper gears
Greetings! I'm sure some of you are familiar with the findings of prof. Malcolm Burrows published last year in Science (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6151/1254.full) and describing the cog wheels present on certain planthopper nymphs' hind legs (trochanters, to be precise), mechanically coupling them during the jump. The insects are very accomplished jumpers capable of acceleration of staggering 600 x G; the mechanical coupling prevents tumbling during the jump. The publication was picked up by popular science blogs and mainstream media, virtually everyone loved the idea of bugs having invented cog wheels millions of years before we invented the regular ones. Eventually planthopper was awarded the title of "Science magazine's Invertebrate of the Year" (and no doubt is enjoying celebrity status by now, attending parties in Hollywood, double-dating with Oprah etc.). Below, planthopper nymph's gears as seen through a confocal microscope.
All samples treated with KOH/H2O2, stained with Congo Red, imaged with Zeiss LSM 710, 10x NA 0.45
Posterior, dorsal and ventral views of the trochanteral gears of the Acanalonia conica (Green Coneheaded Planthopper) nymph. Colors represent depth (depth color coding).
Dorsal view of the trochanteral gears of the Acanalonia conica (Green Coneheaded Planthopper) nymph. Red-cyan anaglyph.
Stereo pair for 'relaxed-eye' viewing.
Stereo pair for 'crossed-eyes' viewing.
Dorsal view of the trochanteral gears and large depressor muscle tendons of the Citrus flatid planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa) nymph. Depth color coding.
Posterior view of the trochanteral cog and pleural arch of the citrus flatid planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa) nymph. The semi-lunar arch serves as a spring storing the energy for jump; the power is supplied by a large trochanteral depressor muscle (not shown) inserting in the top part of the arch and into the funnel-shaped tendon visible in the lower part of the image. Depth color coding.
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All samples treated with KOH/H2O2, stained with Congo Red, imaged with Zeiss LSM 710, 10x NA 0.45
Posterior, dorsal and ventral views of the trochanteral gears of the Acanalonia conica (Green Coneheaded Planthopper) nymph. Colors represent depth (depth color coding).
Dorsal view of the trochanteral gears of the Acanalonia conica (Green Coneheaded Planthopper) nymph. Red-cyan anaglyph.
Stereo pair for 'relaxed-eye' viewing.
Stereo pair for 'crossed-eyes' viewing.
Dorsal view of the trochanteral gears and large depressor muscle tendons of the Citrus flatid planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa) nymph. Depth color coding.
Posterior view of the trochanteral cog and pleural arch of the citrus flatid planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa) nymph. The semi-lunar arch serves as a spring storing the energy for jump; the power is supplied by a large trochanteral depressor muscle (not shown) inserting in the top part of the arch and into the funnel-shaped tendon visible in the lower part of the image. Depth color coding.
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