Thorax (insect anatomy)

The thorax is the midsection (tagma) o the insect bouk. It haulds the heid, legs, weengs an abdomen. It is cried mesosoma in ither arthropods an aw.

It is formed by the prothorax, mesothorax an metathorax and comprises the scutellum; the cervix, a membrane that separates the heid frae the thorax; an the pleuron, a lateral sclerite o the thorax.

In dragonflies and damselflies the mesothorax and metathorax are fused thegither tae form the synthorax.

In some insect pupae, lik the mosquitoes', the head and thorax can be fused in a cephalothorax.

Members o sub order Apocrita (wasps, ants an bees) in the order Hymenoptera hae the first segment o the abdomen fused wi' the thorax, which is called the propodeum.

In maist flying insects, the thorax allows fur the use o asynchronous muscles.