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Inertial encoding mechanisms and flight dynamics of dipteran insects

Yarger, Alexandra Mead
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9778-1832
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1585688085360805

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Biology.
In dipteran insects (true flies), modified hindwings known as halteres detect forces produced by body rotations, and are essential for flight. Halteres are mechanosensory organs with several arrays of sensory cells at their base, and they are one of the characteristic features of flies. Mechanosensory information from the halteres is sent to wing-steering and head movement motor neurons, allowing direct control of body position and gaze. Analyses of the structure and dynamics of halteres indicate that they experience very small aerodynamic forces but significant inertial forces, including Coriolis forces associated with body rotations. The sensory cells at the base of the haltere detect these forces and allow the fly to correct for perturbations during flight. The mechanisms by which haltere neurons transform forces resulting from three-dimensional body rotations into patterns of neural spikes are unknown, however. We use intracellular electrodes to record from haltere primary afferent neurons during a range of haltere motions. We find that spike timing activity of individual neurons changes with displacement, and propose a mechanism by which single neurons can encode three-dimensional haltere movements during flight. However, halteres are not just used for flight. The most recently diverged monophyletic subsection within the Dipteran order, called Calyptratae also use their halters during walking behavior (Hall et al., 2015). We examined the biomechanics of a representative Calyptratae fly and compared it with known wing-haltere mechanics in a non-Calyptratae fly (Deora et al., 2015) that does not use its halters when walking. We also compared the transition behavior (takeoff) that occurs between walking and flying in a variety of Calyptratae and non-Calyptratae fly families. We find that body morphology and haltere use contribute to takeoff speed and stability, but only in the Calyptratae clade.
Jessica Fox, PhD (Advisor)
Roy Ritzmann, PhD (Committee Member)
Hillel Chiel, PhD (Committee Member)
Michael Lewicki, PhD (Committee Member)
Nicole Crown, PhD (Committee Chair)
101 p.
Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biology; Entomology; Neurobiology; Physiology; Zoology
insect; neuroethology; haltere; flight; animal behavior; neurobiology; diptera; fly; stability; mechanosensation; sensory; ethology; takeoff; electrophysiology; sensor; encoding mechanisms; behaviour; behavior; spike timing

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yarger, A. M. (2020). Inertial encoding mechanisms and flight dynamics of dipteran insects [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1585688085360805

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yarger, Alexandra. Inertial encoding mechanisms and flight dynamics of dipteran insects. 2020. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1585688085360805.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yarger, Alexandra. "Inertial encoding mechanisms and flight dynamics of dipteran insects." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1585688085360805

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1585688085360805
408
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This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.