How do siphoning insects absorb food

2 years ago
15.6K

The siphoning mouthpart,a friendlier version of the piercing and sucking beak,also consists of a long, tube-like structure called a proboscisthat works like a straw to suck up nectar from flowers.Insects of the Lepidoptera order—butterflies and moths—keep their proboscises rolledup tightly beneath their headswhen they’re not feedingand unfurl them when they come across some sweet nectar.With the sponging mouthpart,there’s yet another tube,this time ending in two spongy lobesthat contain many finer tubes called pseudotracheae.The pseudotracheae secrete enzyme-filled salivaand soak up fluids and dissolved foods by capillary action.House flies,fruit flies,and the other non-biting members of the Diptera orderare the only insects that use this technique.But, there’s a catch.Biting flies within Diptera,like mosquitoes,horse flies,and deer flies,have a piercing-sucking mouthpart instead of the sponging mouthpart.

Loading comments...