Sawfly Saws - how they work

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:31 am

EDIT was "Another "What am I?""

Part of a part that is part of an insect.
40x Splan Apo + 2.5x relay lens

NU11050

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:02 am

A wasps tongue? (or whatever the proper entomological name for that thing they stick out like a tongue is!)

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:06 am

The trailing edge of a wing?

Cactusdave · Post by **Cactusdave** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:17 am

Looks more like stretched out skin of something.

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:07 pm

No, not a tongue, not a wing, not stretched.

With 20x objective:

NU11051

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:29 pm

A bee stinger?

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 5:20 pm

No, not a bee stinger.
Another image tomorrow.

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 4:45 am

10x and 4x
length A-B = 2.0 mm
Correct orientation, top is dorsal, A is posterior.

Give-away clue: insect is named for this 'apparatus'

NU11052 NU11053

Planapo · Post by **Planapo** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:55 am

A sawfly's "saw" i. e. ovipositor?

Makes a beautiful 'graphic' image by the way!

--Betty

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:28 am

Thanks Betty; correct ID of course.

There is a pair of these saws within the sheath seen below; C-D is only 1.6 mm and the saws extend further back into the body.

Unfortunately I did not pay sufficient attention when I dissected out the 'apparatus'. I may have dorsal and ventral reversed.

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:37 am

Never would have guessed, cause I have never heard of a sawfly.

I would be curious though, to test a real steel blade with this exact shape ground into it, to see how efficient it is as a knife. It's already got a hollow ground edge on it.

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:24 am

Engineers can learn a lot from nature; which I'm sure they realize.
The darker the brown = thicker and stronger tanned cuticle.
Back of the blade is the most rigid, bands of thick cuticle run down from the back to end in the cutting edge which also seems to be supported by long triangular points.
The clear cuticle between the saw-edged teeth would be thin and flexible.

I think it's the top 4 images that do the sawing.

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:20 pm

Lovely wider shots NU. (And I wasn't _too_ far off with the bee stinger, right order and area of body anyway!)

It looks to me as though someone designed the electric carving knife based on these...

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:04 pm

That's where I've seen this. An electric fish filet knife I once had.

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:21 pm

lauriek wrote:Lovely wider shots NU. (And I wasn't _too_ far off with the bee stinger, right order and area of body anyway!)

Thanks Laurie.
I purposely made no comment, it would have been too much of a clue.