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Mandible (insect mouthpart)

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128: 339: 31: 226: 217:, and other insects whose mouthparts are described as piercing-sucking, have modified mandibles. Rather than being tooth-like, the mandibles of such insects are lengthened into stylets, which form the outer two parts of the feeding tube, or beak. The mandibles are therefore instrumental in piercing the plant or animal tissues upon which these insects feed, and in helping draw up fluids to the insect's mouth. 331: 170:. They are usually lined with teeth and move sideways. Large pieces of leaves can therefore be cut and then pulverized near the mouth opening. The specific derived morphology of the teeth on the mandible varies depending on whether the insect eats broad-leafed herbs or grasses. This same simple structure is seen in all of the remaining 148:
is more anterior, but is a single fused structure). Their function is typically to grasp, crush, or cut the insect's food, or to defend against predators or rivals. Insect mandibles, which appear to be evolutionarily derived from legs, move in the horizontal plane unlike those of vertebrates, which
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have mandibles that follow the general form, as in grasshoppers. The mandibles are used to clip pieces of vegetation, gather wood fibers, dig nests, or to capture and disassemble prey. What is unusual is that many Hymenoptera have the remaining mouthparts modified to form a
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insects are often used as a basic example of mandibulate (chewing) mouthparts, and the mandibles themselves are likewise generalized in structure. They are large and hardened, shaped like pinchers, with cutting surfaces on the
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Beetle mandibles show a remarkable amount of variability between species, and some are very highly adapted to the food sources or other uses that the species has for them. Certain
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are non-functional in feeding. The larvae in many lineages are predatory, with mandibles modified with grooves along which digestive saliva flows, while the larvae of the family
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larvae (family Lampyridae) that feed on snails have grooved mandibles that not only physically break down their prey, but also deliver digestive fluids by these grooves.
573: 373:, and other stingless bees, utilize their mandibles for defense purposes and typically interlock them with other individuals while fighting for resources. 248:(family Carabidae) of the tribe Cychrini have long mandibles that project far in front of them, which aid them in feeding on snails inside their shells. 298:) have a variation of piercing mouthparts. During development they lose one mandible, so only the left mandible is present, modified into a stylet. 472:"Musculoskeletal modelling of the dragonfly mandible system as an aid to understanding the role of single muscles in an evolutionary context" 48: 365:
sucking mouthparts (a few exceptional members of other orders may exhibit this, such as flower-feeding beetles that also have "tongues").
95: 67: 74: 237:, and many beetle larvae, have mandibles. In general form they are similar to those of grasshoppers: hardened and tooth-like. 416:(family Calliphoridae), and many others, lack mandibles altogether, and the mouthparts are designed for sponging up liquids. 361:(a "tongue" used to feed on liquids), making them virtually the only insects that normally possess both chewing mouthparts 81: 536:
Johnson, Leslie K.; Hubbell, Stephen P. (1974-01-01). "Aggression and Competition among Stingless Bees: Field Studies".
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are a pair of appendages near the insect's mouth, and the most anterior of the three pairs of oral appendages (the
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have the mouthparts developed into a sucking tube which they use to feed on the liquid tissues of freshwater
389:(family Culicidae), have mandibles that are modified into stylets for piercing, similar to the true bugs. 255:
family (Lucanidae) have greatly enlarged mandibles that are often forked, resembling the horns of various
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lack mandibles, with the remaining mouthparts forming an elongated sucking tube. The exception is the
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appear simple and generalized, although there are typically six or seven mandibular muscles.
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David, Sina; Funken, Johannes; Potthast, Wolfgang; Blanke, Alexander (1 April 2016).
441: 346: 267:. Males of these beetles use their mandibles to grasp or displace each other as they 545: 483: 429: 268: 259:, from which their common name comes, and similar modifications appear in various 369: 264: 202: 163: 582: 446: 245: 198: 167: 497: 307: 291: 260: 187: 183: 175: 171: 432:(family Micropterigidae), which have fully developed mandibles as adults. 451: 425: 393: 353: 252: 557: 488: 471: 405: 319: 158: 338: 127: 358: 315: 311: 214: 179: 549: 30: 413: 397: 386: 152: 132: 382: 345:
drinking; the yellow mandibles can be seen on either side of the
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Stag beetle with mandibles modified no longer used in feeding
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appear to be derived from gill arches and move vertically.
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National Park Service - Insect Design - Insect Mouth Parts
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For the corresponding mouthpart in other arthropods, see
55:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 580: 283:(lice) are also modified into piercing stylets. 153:Grasshoppers, crickets, and other simple insects 535: 487: 174:insect orders, with the exception of the 166:portion and chewing or grinding surfaces 115:Learn how and when to remove this message 419: 337: 329: 325: 224: 126: 581: 53:adding citations to reliable sources 24: 476:The Journal of Experimental Biology 13: 201:rarely feed as adults, though the 193:The mandibles of adult and larval 14: 600: 567: 525:. Amateur Entomologist's Society. 301: 64:"Mandible" insect mouthpart 29: 574:The evolution of animal weapons 40:needs additional citations for 529: 523:"Thrips (Order: Thysanoptera)" 515: 504: 463: 20:Mandible (arthropod mouthpart) 1: 457: 334:Musculature of ant mandibles 208: 7: 435: 10: 605: 220: 17: 286: 376: 274: 205:have simple mandibles. 349: 335: 230: 135: 420:Butterflies and moths 341: 333: 326:Ants, bees, and wasps 228: 130: 424:All but a few adult 381:Several families of 49:improve this article 410:Stomoxys calcitrans 131:The mandibles of a 489:10.1242/jeb.132399 350: 336: 231: 157:The mouthparts of 136: 442:Insect mouthparts 430:mandibulate moths 279:The mandibles in 269:compete for mates 233:Nearly all adult 125: 124: 117: 99: 596: 562: 561: 533: 527: 526: 519: 513: 508: 502: 501: 491: 482:(7): 1041–1049. 467: 396:, including the 265:longhorn beetles 120: 113: 109: 106: 100: 98: 57: 33: 25: 604: 603: 599: 598: 597: 595: 594: 593: 579: 578: 570: 565: 550:10.2307/1934624 534: 530: 521: 520: 516: 509: 505: 468: 464: 460: 438: 422: 402:Musca domestica 379: 370:Trigona corvina 328: 304: 289: 277: 251:Members of the 223: 211: 155: 121: 110: 104: 101: 58: 56: 46: 34: 23: 12: 11: 5: 602: 592: 591: 589:Insect anatomy 577: 576: 569: 568:External links 566: 564: 563: 544:(1): 120–127. 528: 514: 503: 461: 459: 456: 455: 454: 449: 444: 437: 434: 421: 418: 378: 375: 327: 324: 303: 300: 288: 285: 276: 273: 261:scarab beetles 246:Ground beetles 222: 219: 210: 207: 154: 151: 123: 122: 105:September 2014 37: 35: 28: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 601: 590: 587: 586: 584: 575: 572: 571: 559: 555: 551: 547: 543: 539: 532: 524: 518: 512: 507: 499: 495: 490: 485: 481: 477: 473: 466: 462: 453: 450: 448: 447:Yellow jacket 445: 443: 440: 439: 433: 431: 427: 417: 415: 411: 407: 403: 399: 395: 392:Flies of the 390: 388: 384: 374: 372: 371: 366: 364: 360: 355: 348: 344: 340: 332: 323: 321: 317: 313: 309: 302:Neuropteroids 299: 297: 293: 284: 282: 272: 270: 266: 262: 258: 254: 249: 247: 243: 238: 236: 227: 218: 216: 206: 204: 200: 199:Ephemeroptera 196: 191: 189: 185: 181: 177: 173: 172:Polyneopteran 169: 165: 160: 150: 147: 143: 140: 134: 129: 119: 116: 108: 97: 94: 90: 87: 83: 80: 76: 73: 69: 66: –  65: 61: 60:Find sources: 54: 50: 44: 43: 38:This article 36: 32: 27: 26: 21: 16: 541: 537: 531: 517: 506: 479: 475: 465: 423: 409: 401: 391: 380: 368: 367: 362: 351: 308:Neuropterida 305: 292:Thysanoptera 290: 281:Phthiraptera 278: 250: 239: 232: 212: 192: 188:Phthiraptera 184:Thysanoptera 176:Paraneoptera 156: 141: 137: 111: 102: 92: 85: 78: 71: 59: 47:Please help 42:verification 39: 15: 452:Grasshopper 426:Lepidoptera 394:Muscomorpha 354:Hymenoptera 352:Most adult 312:dobsonflies 306:Within the 253:stag beetle 159:orthopteran 458:References 414:blow flies 406:stable fly 387:mosquitoes 385:, notably 347:mouthparts 75:newspapers 398:house fly 359:proboscis 316:Sisyridae 215:Hemiptera 209:True bugs 180:Hemiptera 142:mandibles 583:Category 498:26896542 436:See also 133:bull ant 558:1934624 538:Ecology 320:sponges 242:firefly 235:beetles 221:Beetles 195:Odonata 168:basally 89:scholar 556:  496:  296:thrips 287:Thrips 203:nymphs 186:, and 164:distal 146:labrum 139:Insect 91:  84:  77:  70:  62:  554:JSTOR 383:flies 377:Flies 96:JSTOR 82:books 494:PMID 343:Wasp 275:Lice 263:and 257:deer 213:The 68:news 546:doi 484:doi 480:219 363:and 190:). 51:by 585:: 552:. 542:55 540:. 492:. 478:. 474:. 412:, 408:, 404:, 400:, 322:. 271:. 182:, 560:. 548:: 500:. 486:: 294:( 178:( 118:) 112:( 107:) 103:( 93:· 86:· 79:· 72:· 45:. 22:.

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Mandible (arthropod mouthpart)

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bull ant
Insect
labrum
orthopteran
distal
basally
Polyneopteran
Paraneoptera
Hemiptera
Thysanoptera
Phthiraptera
Odonata
Ephemeroptera
nymphs
Hemiptera

beetles

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