Insect antennae are so weird

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Huer

Insects are very versatile, just look at their antennae. You will find that these antennae come in all shapes and sizes.

+ Various types+

According to the shape, length, structure, etc. of the antennae, insect antennae can be divided into 12 basic types.

Setae-like antennae, which can be seen on the heads of dragonflies, cicadas, leafhoppers, etc.:

Source: quizlet.com

Long, linear antennae, also called filamentous antennae, are the most common type of insect antennae. Representative insects include longhorn beetles and katydids.

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The males of the Lepidoptera family also often have long, linear antennae. From a distance, do they look like two antennae tied on their heads?

Source: BITH*/flickr

Nemophora degeerella

Rosary-shaped antennae that resemble a string of beads are common antennae of termites, scorpions, etc.:

Source: www.billclarkbugsperts.com

The rod-shaped antennae of butterflies and antlers are similar in structure to the thread-shaped antennae, but the proximal segments are enlarged like rods:

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Hammer-shaped antennae are also swollen at the end, but much shorter, shaped like a small hammer, such as the antennae of the Guogong insect:

Source: bugguide.net

Some beetles and male scorpions often have serrated antennae:

Source: allyouneedisbiology.wordpress.com

The antennae of some insects such as the family of Beans, Lampyridae, Myrmecophaga, and Flabellidae are like small combs and are called pectinate antennae:

Firefly © John Flannery

Ant bee source: see watermark

Ant wasps are the general name for insects of the family Eucharitidae. They are parasitic insects with a metallic luster all over their bodies, which are blindingly bright and have a "slim waist".

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The fan-horned beetle, also known as the comb beetle, is a kind of healing little cute insect with very distinctive tentacles. Their tentacles are just like their name, like the skeleton of a folding fan, and also like a small antenna for receiving signals.

Feathery antennae look like bird feathers. Many male moths use such a pair of antennae to accurately receive sex pheromones released by female moths in the distance.

Source: nextnature.net

Gilll-like antennae are often seen in scarab beetles. Their antennae are multi-branched, shaped like fish gills, and can open and close. When flying, the antennae are open to determine wind direction and detect food, and the antennae can be folded when landing.

Source: genet.cals.ncsu.edu

The short, sharp antennae are characteristic of flies and have a bristle-like or thorn-like antennae:

Source: pixabay.com

The male mosquito's annular antennae look like a test tube brush:

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Finally, there are the elbow-shaped antennae (also called knee antennae) of ants, bees, etc. Although they look ordinary, they have many functions such as transmitting information and identifying each other's identities.

© Olivia Solon

In addition to these, there are some insects whose antennae look even stranger.

+ Weird look+

© Raymond JC Cannon

Cercidocerus sp.

The Cercidocerus weevils have a peculiar "appendage" at the end of their antennae. From a distance, does it look like two blackboard erasers?

As for what their function is, it is still uncertain. They may be odor information sensors, or they may be used to better attract the opposite sex.

© André De Kesel

White-breasted comb weevil Cercidocerus albicollis

Many species of the subfamily Paussinae live in ant nests. Their antennae swell into sticks or discs, and the glands on them secrete special substances to deceive ants, so that they can blend into ant nests without being noticed.

Source: b33tl3b0y.tumblr.com

Platyrhopalopsis picteti (right)

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The white-tarsed scorpion beetle, Onychocerus albitarsis, is often called the Scorpion Beetle. It is mainly distributed in the Amazon region of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and southern Peru.

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Unlike bees and ants, the stingers of scorpion beetles are located at the ends of their two antennae. Without careful observation, you would never realize that their antennae actually contain hidden secrets.

© Amy Berkov

It is the only insect in the world known to be able to sting and deliver toxins with its antennae.

In 2008, New York University entomologist Amy Belkoff and her colleagues used a scanning electron microscope to observe the structure of a scorpion beetle's stinger for the first time and found that it was similar to the stinger on the tail of a scorpion.

Source: Berkov et al.

However, because scorpion beetles are difficult to detect, little is known about their behavior.

Source: Berkov et al.

Heterotoma planicornis of the family Miridae has a pair of ostentatious antennae and feeds on insects such as aphids and spiders or by sucking plant sap.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Source: influentialpoints.com

Researchers have discovered a strange Cretaceous insect in 99-million-year-old amber - Magnusantenna wuae, which has extremely exaggerated antennae.

Their broad antennae may have a large number of olfactory receptors, allowing male insects to locate females from a distance.

Source: Bao-Jie Du et al., 2020

Restoration image source: Bao-Jie Du et al., 2020

+ Many uses +

Source: www.flickr.com

The antennae of insects not only have various shapes, but also have diverse and powerful functions. Their most important function is sensation. There are various sensory organs on the antennae of insects, such as touch, smell, hearing, etc., which are used for finding mates, communicating and feeding.

© Chris Joll

Chariesterus antennator

In addition, antennae have some additional functions. For example, the antennae of male crickets are a great tool for picking up girls, helping them hug female insects during mating.

Source: youtube screenshot

Antennae are so useful, so wouldn’t it be better to have another pair? So, clever insects make fake antennae for themselves.

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Pseudotajuria donatana

Some gray butterflies have "fake eyes" and "fake antennae" on their hind wings, which together form a realistic "fake head" to confuse their natural enemies.

Source: butterflycircle.blogspot.com

Some species of these butterflies also move their ribbon-like tails up and down when they are resting, making the "false head" look more active and attracting the attention of predators.

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This cute cicada of the genus Ancyra uses the structure of its front wings to mimic an elephant beetle.

If you observe carefully, you will find that these "long antennae", "hooked noses" and "black eyes" are all decorations on the insect's "butt".

Source: See watermark

Tsk tsk, it seems that without a good eye it is really hard to tell the real from the fake!

© Paul Bertner

Image source: Google Source see watermark

Cai Wanzhi et al. General Entomology (2nd edition)

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