Anatomy of adult Megaphragma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), one of the smallest insects, and new insight into insect miniaturization

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 12; no. 5; p. e0175566
• Main Author: Polilov, Alexey A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 03.05.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adults; Animal anatomy; Animals; Biological evolution; Biology and Life Sciences; Body size; Comparative analysis; Corylophidae; Developmental stages; Evolution; Flight; Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis; Histology; Hymenoptera; Hymenoptera - anatomy & histology; Insects; Lysis; Medicine and Health Sciences; Megaphragma mymaripenne; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Miniaturization; Morphology; Morphology (Biology); Muscles; Nervous system; Nuclei (cytology); Physiological aspects; Ptiliidae; Scanning electron microscopy; Studies; Taxa; Three dimensional models; Trichogramma; Trichogramma evanescens; Trichogrammatidae

The body size, especially in cases of extreme reduction, is an important characteristic that strongly determines the morphology, physiology, and biology of animals. Miniaturization is a widespread trend in animal evolution and one of the principal directions of evolution in insects. Miniaturization-...