Title: | Antennal scales improve signal detection efficiency in moths |
Author(s): | Wang Q; Shang Y; Hilton DS; Inthavong K; Zhang D; Elgar MA; |
Address: | "School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia wangqike123@gmail.com. School of Engineering, RMIT University, Victoria 3083, Australia. Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Victoria 3052, Australia. School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China. School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Print) 0962-8452 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The elaborate bipectinate antennae of male moths are thought to increase their sensitivity to female sex pheromones, and so should be favoured by selection. Yet simple filamentous antennae are the most common structure among moths. The stereotypic arrangements of scales on the surface of antennae may resolve this paradox. We use computational fluid dynamics techniques to model how scales on the filamentous antennae of moths affect the passage of different particles in the airflow across the flagellum in both small and large moths. We found that the scales provide an effective solution to improve the efficacy of filamentous antennae, by increasing the concentration of nanoparticles, which resemble pheromones, around the antennae. The smaller moths have a greater increase in antennal efficiency than larger moths. The scales also divert microparticles, which resemble dust, away from the antennal surface, thereby reducing contamination. The positive correlations between antennal scale angles and sensilla number across Heliozelidae moths are consistent with the predictions of our model" |
Keywords: | "*Animal Communication Animals Arthropod Antennae/*physiology Computational Biology Female Hydrodynamics Male Models, Theoretical Moths/*physiology Nanoparticles/analysis Pheromones/*analysis Sensilla/*cytology antennal scales chemical communication comput;" |
Notes: | "MedlineWang, Qike Shang, Yidan Hilton, Douglas S Inthavong, Kiao Zhang, Dong Elgar, Mark A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2018/03/16 Proc Biol Sci. 2018 Mar 14; 285(1874):20172832. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2832" |