Morphology of the Vibration-Producing Organ in Adult Rice Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (STAL) : Homoptera : Delphacidae

Abstract

A vibration-producing organ in adult Nilaoaruata lugens (STAL) was located in the posterior region of the metathorax and the basal two abdominal segments. The largest muscle at the region was a paired dorsal longitudinal one running from the metaphragma to the 2nd tergite. In the male, this muscle is anteriorly attached to the arm of the metaphragma and posteriorly to the tymbal composed of the basal two tergites, and is considered to have the most important function in vibrating the male tymbal. In the female, which has no tymbal, the muscle is attached to the metaphragma without an arm and is thought to produce the vibration of the whole abodomen. In the male 1st abdominal segment, two pairs of large dorsoventral muscles which probably have subsidiary roles in producing the vibration signals were observed. The female has only one pair of smaller corresponding muscles which seem to have no substantial function in producing her vibration signal. Ventral longitudinal muscles running almost vertically from the 1st sternite to the apodemes of the 2nd sternite were observed only in the male and were believed to control unnecessary abdominal movements during his vibration signals.