Suction pump muscles and their hypothesised functions are
summarised in Table 3. The suction pump of Philoliche was
composed of two consecutive parts with an admission valve at the
proximal end of the food canal. The cibarial cavity was located in an oblique position behind the clypeus and was enclosed by a strongly
sclerotised ventral and a membranous dorsal wall. The cone shaped
pharynx was separated from the cibarium by a constriction and was
positioned behind the frons. Both pumps were provided with a set
of paired dilator muscles and the pharynx was additionally
equipped with two visceral compressor muscles. The lumina of
these consecutive pumping organs formed a right angle with the
oesophagus, which proceeded from the posterior pharynx through
the brain to the occipital foramen at the back of the head