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Sensorimotor Integration And The Role Of The Cercal System In The Reproductive Behavior Of The Cricket, Acheta Domesticus

Snell, Lewis Casbeer
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1122917477

Abstract Details

2005, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Zoology.
We examined the role of the cerci in relation to mating and escape in the cricket. Male cercal ablation significantly decreased mating success by reducing the ability of the male to hook the epiphallus onto the female subgenital plate and to transfer the spermatophore. We found that mechanosensory receptors located on the cerci of the male cricket supply important information on female position during spermatophore threading and transfer. Due to the role of cerci in both mating and escape, we next examined the behavioral switch that occurs that leads to mating. We mechanically stimulated crickets before, during, and after copulation. We found that most touch-evoked escape responses are suppressed in copulating males and females. The behavioral switch from escape to mating occurs following a males chemosensory contact with a female and requires the continued presence of the female. We identified the antennae as the primary source for chemosensory information with the maxillary palps being a secondary source. The loss of the female antennae had a significant negative effect on both female and male receptivity and mating behavior. Since the female antennae were found to stimulate the mating sequence in males, we next examined the role of external influences on the rhythmic bursting pattern that led to spermatophore threading. This rhythmic bursting pattern of action potential activity generated by genital motor neurons during spermatophore transfer was isolated to the terminal abdominal ganglion. Removal of both descending thoracic and abdominal inputs via complete transection of the ventral nerve cord and cercal sensory inputs by ablation of nerve 10d did not significantly affect this rhythmic activity. The ipsilateral cercal motor nerve and genital nerve remained coupled in their activities regardless of the input removed. Additionally, both the left and right genital nerves and the two cercal motor nerves also remained coupled. These results indicate that the rhythmic pattern associated with the cercal motor nerve and genital nerve was produced by a central pattern generator localized to the terminal abdominal ganglion of the cricket. We examined the role of the cerci in relation to mating and escape in the cricket. Male cercal ablation significantly decreased mating success by reducing the ability of the male to hook the epiphallus onto the female subgenital plate and to transfer the spermatophore. We found that mechanosensory receptors located on the cerci of the male cricket supply important information on female position during spermatophore threading and transfer. Due to the role of cerci in both mating and escape, we next examined the behavioral switch that occurs that leads to mating. We mechanically stimulated crickets before, during, and after copulation. We found that most touch-evoked escape responses are suppressed in copulating males and females. The behavioral switch from escape to mating occurs following a males chemosensory contact with a female and requires the continued presence of the female. We identified the antennae as the primary source for chemosensory information with the maxillary palps being a secondary source. The loss of the female antennae had a significant negative effect on both female and male receptivity and mating behavior. Since the female antennae were found to stimulate the mating sequence in males, we next examined the role of external influences on the rhythmic bursting pattern that led to spermatophore threading. This rhythmic bursting pattern of action potential activity generated by genital motor neurons during spermatophore transfer was isolated to the terminal abdominal ganglion. Removal of both descending thoracic and abdominal inputs via complete transection of the ventral nerve cord and cercal sensory inputs by ablation of nerve 10d did not significantly affect this rhythmic activity. The ipsilateral cercal motor nerve and genital nerve remained coupled in their activities regardless of the input removed. Additionally, both the left and right genital nerves and the two cercal motor nerves also remained coupled. These results indicate that the rhythmic pattern associated with the cercal motor nerve and genital nerve was produced by a central pattern generator localized to the terminal abdominal ganglion of the cricket.
Kathleen Killian (Advisor)
Phyllis Callahan (Other)
James Janik (Other)
Nancy Solomon (Other)
117 p.
Biology, Neuroscience
Acheta domesticus; cricket; cerci; behavior; central pattern generator; escape; mating

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Snell, L. C. (2005). Sensorimotor Integration And The Role Of The Cercal System In The Reproductive Behavior Of The Cricket, Acheta Domesticus [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1122917477

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Snell, Lewis. Sensorimotor Integration And The Role Of The Cercal System In The Reproductive Behavior Of The Cricket, Acheta Domesticus. 2005. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1122917477.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Snell, Lewis. "Sensorimotor Integration And The Role Of The Cercal System In The Reproductive Behavior Of The Cricket, Acheta Domesticus." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1122917477

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami1122917477
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© 2005, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.