Centipedes are terrestrial, predatory arthropods with specialized sensory organs. However, many aspects of their sensory biology are still unknown. This also concerns hygroreception, which is especially important for centipedes, as their epicuticle is thin and they lose water rapidly at low humidity. Thus, the detection of humid places is vital but to date no definite hygroreceptor was found in centipedes. House centipedes (Scutigeromorpha) possess a peculiar opening at the base of their antenna, termed ‘scape organ’, that houses up to 15 cone-shaped sensilla in a cavity. Lacking wall and tip-pores, these socket-less sensilla may be hypothesized to function as hygroreceptors similar to those found in hexapods. The cone-shaped sensilla in the scape organ as well as nearby peg-shaped sensilla are composed of three biciliated receptor cells and three sheath cells. A tip-pore is present but plugged by a highly electron-dense secretion, which also overlays the entire inner surface of the cavity. Several solitary recto-canal epidermal glands produce the secretion. Receptor cell type 1 (two cells in cone-shaped sensilla, one cell in peg-shaped sensilla) possesses two long dendritic outer segments that project to the terminal pore. Receptor cell type 2 (one cell in both sensilla) possesses two shorter dendritic outer segments connected to the first (proximal) sheath cell that establishes a scolopale-like structure, documented for the first time in detail in a myriapod sensillum. The nearly identical configuration of receptor cells 1 with their long dendritic outer segments in both sensilla is similar to hexapod hygroreceptors. In Scutigera coleoptrata, however, the mechanism of stimulus transduction is different. Water vapor may lead to swelling and subsequent elongation of the plug pin that enters the terminal pore, thus causing stimulation of the elongated dendritic outer segments. The interconnection of receptor cell 2 with short outer dendritic segments to a scolopale-like structure potentially suits both sensilla for vibration or strain detection. Thus, both sensilla located at the antennal base of scutigeromorph centipedes fulfill a dual function.

中文翻译：

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鞘翅目盾螈（多足纲）的触角器官和整合了蜈蚣成分的新型节肢动物尖孔感器


蜈蚣是陆生捕食性节肢动物，具有专门的感觉器官。然而，它们的感觉生物学的许多方面仍然未知。这也涉及吸湿性，这对于蜈蚣尤其重要，因为它们的外表皮很薄，在低湿度下会迅速失去水分。因此，检测潮湿的地方至关重要，但迄今为止在蜈蚣中尚未发现明确的湿度感受器。蜈蚣 (Scutigeromorpha) 的触角底部有一个特殊的开口，称为“花器”，其腔内容纳多达 15 个锥形感器。由于缺乏壁孔和尖端孔，这些无插座的感觉器可能被假设为与六足动物中发现的类似的湿度感受器。花器中的圆锥形感器以及附近的钉状感器由三个双纤毛受体细胞和三个鞘细胞组成。存在尖端孔，但被高电子密度分泌物堵塞，该分泌物也覆盖了空腔的整个内表面。几个单独的直肠管表皮腺产生分泌物。 1 型受体细胞（圆锥形感器中的两个细胞，钉形感器中的一个细胞）拥有两个突出到终端孔的长树突外节。 2 型受体细胞（两个感器中都有一个细胞）拥有两个较短的树突外节，与第一个（近端）鞘细胞相连，形成蜈蚣状结构，这在多足感器中首次得到详细记录。受体细胞 1 的结构几乎相同，两个感器中都有长的树突状外节，与六足湿度感受器相似。然而，在鞘蚴中，刺激转导的机制是不同的。 水蒸气可能导致进入终端孔的塞销膨胀并随后伸长，从而刺激伸长的树突外部节段。受体细胞 2 与短的外部树突片段与蜈蚣状结构的互连可能适合振动或应变检测的感器。因此，位于蜈蚣触角基部的两个感器都具有双重功能。