Prothorax
Segment of an insect body
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Derobrachus_sp_bl_detail.jpg/220px-Derobrachus_sp_bl_detail.jpg)
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect , and bears the first pair of legs . Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum ( dorsal ), the prosternum ( ventral ), and the propleuron ( lateral ) on each side. The prothorax never bears wings in extant insects (except in some cases of atavism ), though some fossil groups possessed wing-like projections. [1] All adult insects possess legs on the prothorax, though in a few groups (e.g., the butterfly family Nymphalidae ) the forelegs are greatly reduced. In many groups of insects, the pronotum is reduced in size, but in a few it is hypertrophied, such as in all beetles ( Coleoptera ). In most treehoppers (family Membracidae , order Hemiptera ), the pronotum is expanded into often fantastic shapes that enhance their camouflage or mimicry . Similarly, in the Tetrigidae , the pronotum is extended backward to cover the flight wings, supplanting the function of the tegmina .
See also
References
- ↑ Medved, Victor; Marden, James; Fescemyer, Howard; Der, Joshua; Liu, Jin; Mahfooz, Najmus; Popadic, Aleksander (December 2015). "Origin and diversification of wings: Insights from a neopteran insect" . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 112 (52) . Retrieved 19 November 2020 .
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