Ultrastructure of sensilla chaetica in the harvestman Heteromitobates discolor (Arachnida: Opiliones: Laniatores)

• Grant number: 14/07671-0
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Hirata Willemart
• Grantee: Guilherme Gainett Cardoso Martins de Carvalho Florez
• Supervisor abroad: Peter Michalik
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Local de pesquisa : University of Greifswald, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/23189-1 - Fine morphology of the putative olfactory hairs in the harvestman Heteromitobates discolor (Arachnida: Opiliones: Laniatores), BP.MS

Abstract

When compared with other arachnids, the sensilla' fine morphology of the four suborders of Opiliones is poorly know. Specially in Laniatores, the largest suborder, no olfactory receptor has been identified, and only one study, in the suborder Eupnoi, has provided detailed information on gustatory receptor's internal morphology. This is a considerable gap in sensory biology of Opiliones, considering that chemoreception is the most important sense in the group. Therefore, complementing the study on olfactory sensilla, we intend to characterize, in a laniatorid species, the internal morphology of sensilla chaetica, the general gustatory sensilla of Opiliones. For that, we will apply a new imaging technique called serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, as well as transmission and scanning electron microscopy. This study is relevant because it will: (1) apply modern microscopy techniques to investigate a widespread gustatory sensilla of Opiliones, obtaining indirect evidence for unraveling its function; (2) investigate the existence of different sub-types of this sensillum, possibly implying in different functions; (3) provide a basis for future comparisons among the sensilla chaetica present in the other three suborders. Combined data about gustatory and olfactory receptor's morphology will contribute for a better comprehension of the sensory capabilities of laniatorid harvestmen and potentially provide useful taxonomic characters. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GAINETT, GUILHERME; SHARMA, PRASHANT P.; FERNANDES, NATHALIA; PINTO-DA-ROCHA, RICARDO; GIRIBET, GONZALO; WILLEMART, RODRIGO HIRATA. Evolution of a sensory cluster on the legs of Opiliones (Arachnida) informs multi-level phylogenetic relationships. ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, v. 187, n. 1, p. 143-165, SEP 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

GAINETT, GUILHERME; MICHALIK, PETER; MUELLER, CARSTEN H. G.; GIRIBET, GONZALO; TALARICO, GIOVANNI; WILLEMART, RODRIGO H. Ultrastructure of chemoreceptive tarsal sensilla in an armored harvestman and evidence of olfaction across Laniatores (Arachnida, Opiliones). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT, v. 46, n. 2, p. 178-195, MAR 2017. Web of Science Citations: 9.

GAINETT, GUILHERME; MICHALIK, PETER; MUELLER, CARSTEN H. G.; GIRIBET, GONZALO; TALARICO, GIOVANNI; WILLEMART, RODRIGO H. Putative thermo-/hygroreceptive tarsal sensilla on the sensory legs of an armored harvestman (Arachnida, Opiliones). ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER, v. 270, p. 81-97, 2017. Web of Science Citations: 2.