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Dietary diversification and variations in the number of labrum sensilla in grasshoppers: Which came first?

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Abstract

The diversity of the diet of grasshoppers (Acrididae, Orthoptera) is related to multiple factors, including the chemoreceptors on the antennae, palps and on the epipharyngeal face of the labrum. In the present study, we sought to understand the nature of the diet of 12 Moroccan acridian species and to try to relate various aspects of their diet to the number of labrum sensilla. If the effect of the labrum size on the number of sensilla is removed, four groups of species are recorded: (i) polyphagous species with a broad diet and numerous sensilla; (ii) polyphagous species with a graminivorous diet and numerous sensilla; (iii) oligophagous species feeding exclusively on Poaceae and with a medium number of sensilla; and (iv) strictly monophagous species feeding on a single plant species and with the smallest number of sensilla. These observations show the close relationship between the diet and the number of labrum sensilla. However, Sphingonotus rubescens, a polyphagous species, is an exception to this trend as it harbours a medium number of sensilla. We propose that the modification in the number of labrum sensilla is a result of a progressive adaptation to a different diet and does not represent its cause.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Laboratoire de biotechnologie microbienne, BP 2202, Fès, Morocco

    Assia Zaim & Lahsen ElGhadraoui

  2. UMR 1061, INRA, Université de Limoges, 123 Albert Thomas, F-87060, Limoges, France

    Daniel Petit

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  1. Assia Zaim
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  2. Daniel Petit
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  3. Lahsen ElGhadraoui
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Correspondence to Daniel Petit.

Additional information

Corresponding editor: SUBHASH C LAKHOTIA

MS received 19 November 2012; accepted 14 March 2013

Corresponding editor: Subhash C Lakhotia

[Zaim A, Petit D and Elghadraoui L 2013 Dietary diversification and variations in the number of labrum sensilla in grasshoppers: Which came first? J. Biosci. 38 1–11] DOI 10.1007/s12038-013-9325-8

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Table 5 Most frequent plant species recorded in Al-Azaghar area
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Zaim, A., Petit, D. & ElGhadraoui, L. Dietary diversification and variations in the number of labrum sensilla in grasshoppers: Which came first?. J Biosci 38, 339–349 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-013-9325-8

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