Anatomy
The basic anatomy of the N. tomentosus is broken up into three separate functional body regions: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. The entire body wall of N. tomentosus is called the exoskeleton. This tough outer layer provides strong protection and different areas where muscles can attach and provide movement. Their harder outer layer is made of cuticle yet the skin is broken up into many different hardened plates that are separated by sutures. This allows flexible movement and doesn’t cause it to move rigidly.
The head houses the brain, eyes, antennae, and mouth parts. The eyes are compound eyes which are lens-like in appearance and have a pixel-like reception. They are made up of thousands of little receptors called ommatidia. The antennae are covered with many chemical receptors and act as sensory organs. N. tomentosus has a mandible for chewing its food.
The thorax is the center of movement. It is separated into three different regions: the prothorax, the mesothorax, and the metathorax. It is heavily scleratized which provides extra support and acts as an anchor for moving parts. It is also divided into three different sections. The notum is the top most or dorsal area, the sternum is the lower or ventral side, and the pleuron is the sides where the legs are attached. The thorax is also the location of the wings. The N. tomentosus has a special hard shell like outer wings that protects and covers the delicate membranous hind wings that only emerge during flight. The thorax also houses the dorsal brain and ventral nervous system.
The abdomen is the last body region or the posterior area on the N. tomentosus. It houses the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and reproductive systems. The spiracles, which are external openings that allow the N. tomentosus to breathe, are also found along the sides on the abdomen and are divided up into each segment.
Read more about this topic: Nicrophorus Tomentosus
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