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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects

Published on: April 13, 2011

Motor patterns associated with crawling in a soft-bodied arthropod.

Michael A Simon¹, Steven J Fusillo, Kara Colman

¹Department of Biology, 163 Packard Avenue, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.

The Journal of Experimental Biology

|June 15, 2010

Summary

Caterpillar crawling is not peristaltic. Instead, tobacco hornworms use co-activated muscles and substrate grip for propulsion, challenging traditional models of invertebrate locomotion.

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Area of Science:

Zoology
Biomechanics
Invertebrate locomotion

Background:

Soft-bodied animals differ from skeleton-bearing animals in locomotion.
Annelids use antagonistic muscles and hydrostatic pressure for movement.
Caterpillars, unlike annelids, possess powerful appendages for grip.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the locomotion mechanism of caterpillars, specifically the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta).
To challenge the prevailing peristaltic model of crawling in invertebrates.

Main Methods:

Electromyographic recordings of muscle activity during natural crawling.
Analysis of motor neuron activity and body segment coordination.

Main Results:

Caterpillar crawling involves co-activation of dorsal and ventral muscles within segments, not antiphasic activation.
Multiple body segments (2-3) are in the swing phase simultaneously.
Motor neuron activity overlaps across more than four segments.
Some muscles are active during both shortening and elongation phases.

Conclusions:

The peristaltic model of crawling is not supported for Manduca sexta.
Locomotion is better explained by a tension-based model utilizing substrate interaction for propulsion.