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Mandibles (mander.xyz)
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[-] Hjalamanger@feddit.nu 13 points 4 days ago

Can they actually bite using those things or are there just there to look scary?

[-] Saeveo@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago

On the Giant Water Bug (bottom left) they aren't even mouthparts, those are it's first pair of legs.

[-] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago
[-] thesporkeffect@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

You should start a sexy bug leg/mouthparts community.

[-] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 1 points 2 days ago

Imagine some fishnets over those puppies

[-] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 days ago

isn't that technically how it works for all arthropods? Anything vaguely limb-like is in fact a heavily derived leg, including antennae.

[-] Slatlun@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 days ago

These are real, current legs. The front 2 of the insect norm of 6

[-] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 12 points 4 days ago

Afaik, only the ant bites. The others use them for flinging opponents or grappling with them.

Unlike me, I grapple so I can bite

[-] Barx@hexbear.net 6 points 3 days ago

The lower left is a toe biter water bug with one of the most painful venoms on the planet

[-] Hjalamanger@feddit.nu 4 points 3 days ago

I'm getting very mixed answers here (someone else said that's it's legs

[-] TheMetaleek@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago

They are its legs, however they are heavily modified legs made for strongly grappling prey

[-] Barx@hexbear.net 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Ohhh. Well the big parts that grab stuff are mandibles. They aren't legs but they originate, evolutinarily speaking, from legs. Same with antennae! The parts closer to the head do the eating but sometimes mandibles help with that.

For venomous arthropods sometimes it's the mandibles that have the venom (like spiders, where they are called Chelicerae), for some it's saliva and they use various mouthparts (the water bug uses a proboscus), for some it's their tail end (like ants), etc etc.

this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2024
190 points (95.7% liked)

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