Back Osmaterium Afrikaans ওসমেটেরিয়াম Bengali/Bangla Osmeteri Catalan Osmaterium German Osmeterio Spanish Osmeterium French 臭角 Japanese Osmeterium Malay Osmeterium Dutch Osmetério Portuguese
Upper: Osmeterium partly everted. Lower: undisturbed
The osmeterium is a defensive organ found in all papilionid larvae, in all stages.[1] The organ is situated in the prothoracic segment and can be everted when the larva feels threatened. The everted organ resembles a fleshy forked tongue (not unlike a snake tongue), and this along with the large eye-like spots on the body might be used to startle birds and small reptiles. The osmeterial organ remains inside the body in the thoracic region in an inverted position and is everted when the larva is disturbed in any way emitting a foul, disagreeable odor which serves to repel ants,[2] small spiders[3] and mantids.[4] To humans, this odour is rather strong but not unpleasant, usually smelling like a concentrated scent of the caterpillar's food plant and pineapple.
The constitution of the osmeterial secretion varies from species to species and contains monoterpene hydrocarbons, sesquiterpenic compounds or a mixture of aliphatic acids and esters.
The fine structure of the osmeterium of Papilio demoleus libanius Fruhstorfer has been studied and found to contain 3 types of specialised cells for synthesis, acid secretion,[5] and storage[6] of the osmeterial secretion.
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