STUDY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEGS OF INSECT

Definition of leg: Legs are primarily the organ of running or walking. Legs are hollow, more or less cylindrical outgrowth or continuation of the body wall by the side of the pleura. All insects have three pair of legs. These legs can be variously modified depending on the type of insect. Functions of leg: Legs are used for Locomotion Detection of food Pollen carrying Predation

Parts of a typical leg: Most insects have three pairs of legs - one pair on each thoracic segment (prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax). Typically each leg has six segments and these are proximal to distal: 1. Coxa Chandra Kanta Dash 2. Trochanter Assistant Professor 3. Femur Department of Entomology 4. Tibia Faculty of Agriculture 5. Tarsus Sylhet Agricultural University 6. Pretarsus

Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh
1. Coxa Coxa is the first or basal segment of the insect leg. It articulates with the pleura and more or less flattened. 2. Trochanter It is the second segment of the, usually very short, triangular or quadrangular and located between coxa and femur. 3. Femur Femur is the third leg segment. It is the largest and strongest segment of the leg. 4. Tibia This is the fourth part of the leg. The tibia is more or less same with the length of femur. In some cases tibia is provided with some spines or spurs which are known as tibial spur. 5. Tarsus The tarsus is the fifth part of the leg. It consists of a series of small segments varying in number from 1-6. 6. Pretarsus- It refers to the terminal segment of the tarsus. The small pretarsus bears a pair of lateral claws (also called ungues); usually a median lobe or adhesive pad between the claws, the arolium; a central spine-like or pad-like, the empodium (in diptera) and a pair of lateral pulvilli (bush fly, diptera) Types of insect leg: Typically, the legs are concerned with walking and running, but they may be specialized for a range of other physical functions, some of which are described below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Simple walking/Running/Cursorial type : Legs of Cockroaches, tiger beetle Jumping/Saltatorial type: Hind leg of grasshopper, flea Grasping/Raptorial type: Fore leg of praying mantids, fore leg of giant water bug Digging/Fossorial type: For leg of mole cricket Swimming/Natatorial type: Middle and hind leg of Water scavenger beetles, hindleg of giant water bug and diving beetle 6. Clinging/Scansorial type: Legs of hog louse, Fore leg of diving beetle 7. Pollen carrying/Corbiculate/Foragial type: Hind leg of Honey bee

Characteristics of different types of legs: Leg Adapations and Modifications: Characteristic Appearance

Cursorial/Running -- adapted for running 1. This is the simple or basic type of leg. It consists of coax, trochanter, femar, tibia and tarsus. 2. Femar is greater than tibia. e.g. Legs of Cockroaches, tiger beetle

Saltatorial/Jumping -- adapted for jumping 1. Femar is greatly elongated, mascular and adapter for jumping. 2. Coxa and trochanter are relatively small in size. 3. Tibia spinous. e.g. Hind legs of grasshopper and flea

Raptorial/Grasping -- adapted for catching and holding prey 1. Coxa elongated and strong. 2. Trochanter is very small in size. 3. Femur and tibia provided with spines for grasping and holding prey. e.g. Fore legs of praying mantids and giant water bug, water scorpion bug

Fossorial/Digging -- adapted for digging in soil 1. Leg is thick and robust. 2. Major modification occurs in the tibia. 3. Tibia modified into rake like structure for digging. 4. Tarsi 3 segmented. e.g. Fore legs of mole cricket

Natatorial/Swimming -- adapted for swimming 1. Coxa flattened. 2. Trochanter very short. 3. Tarsus provided with numerous hair for swimming. e.g. Middle and hind leg of Water scavenger beetles, hind leg of giant water bug

Scansorian/Clinging type -- adapted for clinging 1. Tarsus one segmented with claw 2. Claw help the insect to cling with the hairs of animal e.g. Legs of hog louse, fore leg of diving beetle

Suctorial pads have been developed on the fore limbs inmales of many beetle species. In Dytiscus, for example, the rst three tarsomeres are attened and possess large numbers of cuticular cups, two of which are extremely enlarged

Foragial/Corbiculate/Pollen carrying type -- adapted for digging in soil 1. First segment of the tarsus modified into a pollen carrying basket. 2. All the segments bear hair for carrying pollen. e.g. Hind legs of honey bee The hindlegs of the bee are modied for pollen collection. Rows of hairs, the comb, on the inner side of the rst tarsomere scrape pollen off theabdomen. The rake, a fringe ofhairs at the distal end of the tibia, then collects the pollen from the comb on the opposite leg and transfers it to the pollen press. When the press is closed, the pollen is pushed up into the pollen basket, where it is stored until the bee returns to its nest.

Fig. Leg modifications in the worker honey bee. (A) Foreleg showing the cleaning notch, (B) outer surface of hindleg showing the pollen basket, and (C) inner surface of hind tarsus and tip of hind tibia showing rake and pollen press.

Chandra Kanta Dash Assistant Professor Department of Entomology Faculty of Agriculture Sylhet Agricultural University Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh