Abstract
VERY little is known about the function of the ventral tube of Collembola. Until recently it has been regarded as an adhesive organ, but the observations of W. M. Davies1 suggest that in Sminthurus viridis (Linn.) at least, it may be used for cleansing the body and as a means of transferring drops of water from the surface of the body to the mouth where they are then absorbed. In connexion with this, Davies has suggested that ‘free water’ is essential for the survival of this species, even in a water–saturated atmosphere.
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References
Davies, W. M., Brit. J. Exp. Biol., 6, No. 1 (1928).
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NUTMAN, S. Function of the Ventral Tube in Onychiurus armatus (Collembola). Nature 148, 168–169 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/148168b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/148168b0
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