在这项研究中，小组表明这个器官是专门用来保留微生物共生体而不是感知声音的。器官的表面不是膜层，而是由多孔角质层组成，每个孔连接腺体分泌细胞。在生殖雌性中，后腿器官覆盖着从毛孔生长的真菌菌丝。产卵后，雌性将真菌从器官转移到卵上，在那里菌丝物理上保护卵免受黄蜂寄生。真菌包括多种低致病性虫草科。
据悉，据报道，恐龙臭虫在雌性后腿上有一个明显的鼓室器官。
附：英文原文
Title: Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs
Author: Takanori Nishino, Minoru Moriyama, Hiromi Mukai, Masahiko Tanahashi, Takahiro Hosokawa, Hsin-Yi Chang, Shuji Tachikawa, Naruo Nikoh, Ryuichi Koga, Chih-Horng Kuo, Takema Fukatsu
Issue&Volume: 2025-10-16
Abstract: Dinidorid stinkbugs were reported to possess a conspicuous tympanal organ on female hindlegs. In this study, we show that this organ is specialized to retain microbial symbionts rather than to perceive sound. The organ’s surface is not membranous but consists of porous cuticle in which each pore connects to glandular secretory cells. In reproductive females, the hindleg organ is covered with fungal hyphae that grow from the pores. Upon oviposition, the females transfer the fungi from the organ to the eggs, where the hyphae physically protect the eggs against wasp parasitism. The fungi comprise a diversity of mostly low-pathogenicity Cordycipitaceae.
DOI: adp6699
Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp6699