AI Article Synopsis

  • A group of hemipterans, known as xylem-feeding bugs, uniquely feeds on xylem sap, which is a low-nutritional liquid under negative pressure in plants.
  • Recent research suggests that small xylem feeders face higher energetic costs, which could explain the evolution of larger-bodied species, but prior studies focused only on adult insects.
  • Our study on the common meadow spittlebug shows that the cibarial pump grows predictably during development, allowing even tiny first instar nymphs to feed efficiently at high tension levels without significant energy costs.

Article Abstract

A select group of hemipterans within the suborder Auchenorrhyncha are the only animals that feed exclusively on xylem sap - a nutritionally poor liquid that exists under negative pressure within a plant's xylem vessels. To consume it, xylem-feeding bugs have evolved enlarged cibarial pumps capable of generating enormous negative pressures. A previous study examining the allometry of this feeding model suggested that small xylem feeders pay relatively higher energetic costs while feeding, favouring the evolution of larger-bodied species. However, this interspecific analysis only considered adult xylem-feeding insects and neglected the considerable intraspecific change in size that occurs across the insect's development. Here, we examine the changes in cibarial pump morphology and function that occur during the development of Philaenus spumarius, the common meadow spittlebug. We show that the cibarial pump scales largely as expected from isometry and that the maximum negative pressure is mass independent, indicating that size has no effect on the xylem-feeding capacity of juvenile spittlebugs. We conclude that a first instar nymph with a body mass 2% of the adult can still feed at the >1 MPa tension present in a plant's xylem vessels without a substantial energetic disadvantage.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247966DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

cibarial pump
12
philaenus spumarius
8
negative pressure
8
plant's xylem
8
xylem vessels
8
born suckers
4
cibarial
4
suckers cibarial
4
pump philaenus
4
spumarius scales
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!