MOUTH PARTS

• The mouthparts are the organs concerned for the ingestion of different nature of food.
• The mouth parts comprises of the following:

a) the unpaired upper lip or labrum in front,

b) the lower or ventral surface of which forms the epipharynx,

c) a tongue like hypopharynx behind the mouth,

d) a pair of jaws or mandibles,

e) the paired maxillae and a labium forming a lower lip.

• In insects, the mouthparts do not lie in a cavity of the head and the condition is called ectognathous. Eg: The mouth parts of Collembola, Diplura and Protura.