3‐D visualisation, printing, and volume determination of the tracheal respiratory system in the adult desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria

Here, we describe a single micro‐ CT scan with a spatial resolution of 10 μm of a 10‐day‐old adult male S chistocerca gregaria ( F orskål) ( O rthoptera: A crididae) and we compare our tracheal volume (V T ) determination with published work on the subject. We also illustrate the feasibility of performing non‐invasive ‘virtual dissection’ on insects after performing micro‐ CT . These post‐processing steps can be performed using free downloadable 3‐D software. Finally, the values of producing stereo‐lithography ( STL ) files that can be viewed or used to print out 3‐D models as teaching aids are discussed.