Everything about Pedipalps totally explained
Pedipalps, the second pair of
appendages of the
cephalothorax in the subphylum
Cheliceriformes, is homologous with
mandibles in
Crustacea and corresponding to the mandibles of
insects. The pedipalps are appendages of six segments: the coxae, a single
trochanter, the
femur, a short
patella, the
tibia, and the
tarsus. The coxae, most frequently have extensions, called
maxillae or gnahobases, which function as
mouth parts with or without contribution from the coxae of the anterior
legs. The limbs themselves may be simple tactile organs outwardly resembling the legs, as in
spider, or chelate weapons of great size, as in the
scorpion. Comparative studies of pedipalpal morphology may suggest that leg-like pedipalps are primitive in
Arachnida. At present, the only reasonable alternative to this view is to assume that xiphosurans reflect the morphology of the primitive
arachnid pedipalp and to conclude that this appendage is primitively chelate. Pedipalp chelae are found in several
arachnid groups,
Ricinulei,
Thelyphonida,
Scorpiones and
Pseudoscorpiones, but the chelae in most of these taxa don't appear to be homologous with those found in Xiphosura. The pedipalps are distinctly
raptorial in
Amblypygi,
Thelyphonida,
Schizomida and
Opiliones.
Spider pedipalps
Pedipalps of
spiders have the same segmentation as the
legs, but the
tarsus is undivided, and the pretarsus has no lateral claws. A male
spider bears enlarged ends of his pedipalps, the terminal segments of which are elaborated into organs for the transfer of
sperm to the sperm receptacles of the female. A microscopic analysis of the pedipalps is often the only way to exactly determine the species of a male spider.
Sources
- Savory, T. 1977. Arachnida. 2nd edition. U.S. Edition published by Academic Press INC. LTD.340 Pp.
Snodgrass, R.E. 1971. A Textbook Arthropod Anatomy. Published by Hafner Publishing Company, INC. 363 Pp.
Torre-Bueno, J.R. 1989. The Torre-Bueno Glossary of Entomology/ compiled by Stephen W. Nichols; including Supplement A by George S. Tulloch. Published by The New York Entomological Society in cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History. 840 Pp.
Discovery Books; 2000; Insects and Spiders; St. Remy Media Inc.; New York; 35
Further Information
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