‘Compensatory Hyper-regeneration’ in the Antennæ of Hemiptera

Abstract

WOLSKY¹ claims that prior to his 1957 demonstration, under the above title, there was no experimental evidence to show that the antennal oligomery frequently encountered in Hemiptera Heteroptera results from the unusual course regeneration takes after larval injury. But in 1829 Heineken² amputated the antenna of a reduviid larva and obtained an adult exhibiting just those features which Wolsky now notes. Gäbler³ studied antennal regeneration in three families of Heteroptera, and Balazuc⁴, unaware of Gäbler's work, has given a full account of regeneration in a reduviid. In addition, the literature abounds with references to the field occurrence of both uni- and bi-lateral oligomery, more especially in Lygaeidae: in view of the work of Heineken and his successors there is no doubt that such cases are the result of larval injury. Consideration of the structure of the bug antenna, however, now suggests that analysis of the experimental results can be taken one stage further.