Annals of the Entomological Society of America · 1975 · 52 citations · 0 references
Life SciencesEntomologyZoologyInsect BehaviorInsect EcologyInsect EvolutionCuticle PhysiologyCuticle StructureFeeding PhysiologyInsect Body PlanInsect ExoskeletonLeg MorphologyBiomechanics Of Insect LocomotionCuticular MicromorphologyDetrital ProcessingInsect BiomechanicsInsect CuticleInsect Locomotor ControlProjectionsScraping Technique
Scraping by inclined setae or projections removes detritus from the cuticular surfaces of insects. These particles are concentrated, often transported from leg to leg, and then disposed of through use of the same scraping mechanism. Altering the location, structure, and field of action of grooming organs as well as shifting the direction of detrital elimination have resulted in diverse grooming systems whose evolution consists, in part, of reactions to diversification of the feeding and locomotory systems.