ABSTRACT
Morphogenesis of the trochanter produced by femoral regeneration in the phasmid Carausius morosus Br.
When the femur of Carausius is cut, about a trochanter’s length from its base, the regenerating limb is made by outgrowths from both the femur and the trochanter.
These two morphogenetic processes may be partly autonomous. The femur can develop into femur, tibia and tarsus while, simultaneously, the trochanter forms femur and tibia. Sometimes the outgrowths form together a femoro-tibial chimera segment whose length is nearly that of a femur or a tibia.
However, in three-quarters of the cases a partial regulation takes place so that a large development of the femoral outgrowth corresponds to a weak development of the trochanteral one. Generally, the longer the initial piece of femur the greater the femoral outgrowth.
The onset of the trochanteral morphogenesis and the relative importance of the trochanteral and femoral outgrowths seem to be related to the degree of distalization of the femoral mass during regeneration.
