Horned Passalus Tracheal Compression

QuickTime video showing regions of the prothorax of Odontotaenius disjunctus, the horned passalus beetle (also known as bessbug, or bess beetle). Using synchrotron x-ray phase contrast imaging with live animals, we were able to observe rhythmic and wave-like tracheal compression in this beetle. In this clip, you can see a single tracheal tube extending from the thorax into the leg. This tube appears to exhibit a dorso-ventral compression pattern. It also exhibits a wavelike compression proceeding from the thorax cavity distally toward the leg. For more information, see the full manuscript published here: Waters, J. S., Lee, W.-K., Westneat, M. W. and Socha, J. J. (2013). Dynamics of tracheal compression in the horned passalus beetle. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 304, R621-R627.