Meeting Abstract
In crickets, wind evokes an escape response, in which the cricket turns and then runs or jumps away. Previous results indicated that crickets largely utilize the same turning strategy when escaping looming stimuli. In contrast to wind stimuli, looming objects create both wind and visual sensory cues. However, the relative contributions of the two sensory cues and the receptor modalities – cerci, eyes, antennae, and body mechanoreceptors – to the escape response are unclear. The specific aim of our research was to identify the contribution of each receptor modality to the escape. A high speed camera captured the escape response of crickets (Acheta domesticus) to a 3” black polyurethane ball propelled to the cricket at a 45 degree angle. We designed a series of behavioral lesion experiments to determine if each of the four modalities were necessary or sufficient to produce an escape response. Based on 106 crickets, both cerci and eyes, but neither antennae nor body mechanoreceptors, contributed to the escape response. Eyes were necessary and sufficient for anterior looming stimuli, while cerci were necessary and sufficient for posterior looming stimuli. Although cerci have been considered the primary determinant of the escape response, vision may play a significant role, especially for anterior looming stimuli.
