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Published on: November 4, 2013
Danger detection and escape behaviour in wood crickets.
Fabienne Dupuy1, Jérôme Casas, Mélanie Body
1Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 6035 CNRS-Université François Rabelais, Av Monge, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France. fyd20@cam.ac.uk
Journal of Insect Physiology
|March 29, 2011
Summary
Wood crickets use their cerci to detect approaching predators, but other senses also contribute to escape. Even without cerci, crickets can still detect and escape threats, indicating a complex sensory system.
Area of Science:
- Neuroethology
- Animal Behavior
- Sensory Ecology
Background:
- The cercal system in Orthopteroid insects is crucial for detecting predator approach via air currents.
- Escape behavior is a well-studied model in neuroethology, but its success rate remains largely unexamined.
- Predator detection likely involves more than just air movement, incorporating visual and tactile cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively evaluate the escape behavior and its success rate in wood crickets (Nemobius sylvestris).
- To investigate the sensory basis of predator detection, considering air movement, visual, and tactile stimuli.
- To determine the role of cerci versus other sensory modalities in detecting and escaping simulated predator attacks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a piston to mimic an attacking predator, generating air movement, visual, and tactile stimuli.
- Quantitatively assessed detection rates and escape success in wood crickets.
- Performed cerci ablation experiments to isolate the contribution of other sensory systems.
Main Results:
- 5-52% of crickets that detected the simulated predator were touched, indicating variable escape success.
- Crickets showed better escape from posterior than anterior stimulation, despite similar detection.
- Cerci ablation significantly reduced detection (48% vs 79%) and escape success (24% vs 62%) for posterior threats.
- Antennae and eyes did not appear to play a significant role in detection or escape when cerci were functional.
Conclusions:
- Cerci are vital for detecting approaching objects, but other sensory modalities partially compensate for their absence.
- Wood crickets exhibit directional bias in escape responses, favoring posterior threats.
- Predator detection in wood crickets is a multi-modal process, with cerci playing a primary but not exclusive role.
