Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Sciences
Committee Chair/Advisor
Konstantin Kornev
Committee Member
Samantha Price
Committee Member
Richard Blob
Abstract
Equipped with muscle-free antennae, many insects can twist and bend their antennae on demand. We hypothesized that hemolymph circulating through the antennae provides pressure that facilitates twisting and bending and provides a feedback control channel for tactile sensing in insects. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a thorough morphological and physiological analysis of antennae in three Clades of Blattodea. We studied morphology by evaluating the distinguishable features of the body and antenna, as well as the internal structure of the antennal lumen. Then, in a series of experiments on live cockroaches, we measured blood pressure along the antenna. This was accomplished by puncturing the antenna, allowing hemolymph to flow out and form a droplet. Photographing the hemolymph droplet, we then developed an image-processing protocol that employed the Laplace equation of capillarity to estimate the pressure. A comparative analysis of pressure distribution among Blattodea species was complemented by a morphological study employing histology, optical microscopy, and X-ray micro-CT imaging, providing insight into the antennal structures affecting the hemolymph flow.
Recommended Citation
Marsh, Lucas W., "Comparative Biomechanics: Blattodea Antennal Morphology and Physiology" (2026). All Theses. 4778.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4778
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7373-327X
Included in
Biodiversity Commons, Biomechanics Commons, Entomology Commons, Physiology Commons, Structural Biology Commons