proboscis on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an
''Identification of Indian Butterflies''
The Diocesan press. Introduction, pp. 1–35. A specific example of the proboscis being used for feeding is in the species '' Deilephila elpenor''. In this species, the moth hovers in front of the flower and extends its long proboscis to attain its food. A few Lepidoptera species lack mouth parts and therefore do not feed in the
A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chorda ...
. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts
Mouthparts may refer to:
* The parts of a mouth
** Arthropod mouthparts
The mouthparts of arthropods have evolved into a number of forms, each adapted to a different style or mode of feeding. Most mouthparts represent modified, paired append ...
used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elongated nose or snout.
Etymology
First attested in English in 1609 from Latin , the latinisation of theAncient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...
(), which comes from () 'forth, forward, before' + (), 'to feed, to nourish'. The plural as derived from the Greek is , but in English the plural form ''proboscises'' occurs frequently.
Invertebrates
The most common usage is to refer to the tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates such as insects (e.g., moths, butterflies, and mosquitoes), worms (including Acanthocephala, proboscis worms) and gastropod molluscs.Acanthocephala
The Acanthocephala or thorny-headed worms, or spiny-headed worms are characterized by the presence of an eversible proboscis, armed with spines, which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host.Lepidoptera mouth parts
The mouth parts of Lepidoptera mainly consist of the sucking kind; this part is known as the proboscis or 'haustellum'. The proboscis consists of two tubes held together by hooks and separable for cleaning. The proboscis contains muscles for operating. Each tube is inwardly concave, thus forming a central tube up which moisture is sucked. Suction takes place due to the contraction and expansion of a sac in the head.Evans, W. H. (1927''Identification of Indian Butterflies''
The Diocesan press. Introduction, pp. 1–35. A specific example of the proboscis being used for feeding is in the species '' Deilephila elpenor''. In this species, the moth hovers in front of the flower and extends its long proboscis to attain its food. A few Lepidoptera species lack mouth parts and therefore do not feed in the
imago
In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the imaginal stage, the stage in which the insect attains maturity. It follows the ...
. Others, such as the family Micropterigidae
Micropterigoidea is the superfamily of "mandibulate archaic moths", all placed in the single family Micropterigidae, containing currently about twenty living genera. They are considered the most primitive extant lineage of lepidoptera (Kristense ...
, have mouth parts of the chewing kind.Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson (2005). ''Borror and Delong's Introduction to the Study of Insects'' (7th edition). Thomson Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA.
The study of insect mouthparts was helpful for the understanding of the functional mechanism of the proboscis of butterflies (Lepidoptera) to elucidate the evolution of new form-function. The study of the proboscis of butterflies revealed surprising examples of adaptations to different kinds of fluid food, including nectar, plant sap, tree sap, dung and of adaptations to the use of pollen as complementary food in '' Heliconius'' butterflies. An extremely long proboscis appears within different groups of flower-visiting insects, but is relatively rare.
Gastropods
Vertebrates
The elephant's trunk and thetapir
Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...
's elongated nose are called "proboscis", as is the snout of the male elephant seal.
The proboscis monkey is named for its enormous nose.
An abnormal facial appendage that sometimes accompanies ocular and nasal abnormalities in humans is also called a proboscis.
Notable mammals with some form of proboscis are:
* Aardvark
* Anteater
* Members of the elephant family (see elephant trunk)
* Elephant shrews
* Hispaniolan solenodon
* Echidna
* Elephant seal
* '' Leptictidium'' (extinct)
* '' Moeritherium'' (extinct)
* '' Macrauchenia'' (extinct)
* Numbat
* Proboscis monkey
* Saiga
* Members of the Tapir
Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...
family
References
{{Authority control Animal anatomy