Electromagnetic activity in the VLF range and take-off by locusts

Bergh, Jan-Erik

doi:10.1007/bf01553771

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Previous studies have suggested an acute effect of ELF EMFs on locust behaviour. For example, Bergh30 suggested that very-low frequency electromagnetic fields caused by storms increased the take-off rate of locusts that initiates flight while Clark31 found that locusts showed increased flight activity in proximity to storms. Lightning strikes from storms are known to generate ELF EMFs1 and while ELF EMF radiation from storms is very weak in comparison to the electrostatic forces generated1 the EMFs give rise to signals that can be detected over long distances32.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields alters the behaviour, physiology and stress protein levels of desert locusts

Wyszkowska

Shepherd

Sharkh

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are present throughout the modern world and are derived from many man-made sources including overhead transmission lines. The risks of extremely-low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields are particularly poorly understood especially at high field strengths as they are rarely encountered at ground level. Flying insects, however, can approach close to high field strength transmission lines prompting the question as to how these high levels of exposure affect behaviour and physiology. Here we utilise the accessible nervous system of the locust to ask how exposure to high levels of ELF EMF impact at multiple levels. We show that exposure to ELF EMFs above 4 mT leads to reduced walking. Moreover, intracellular recordings from an identified motor neuron, the fast extensor tibiae motor neuron, show increased spike latency and a broadening of its spike in exposed animals. In addition, hind leg kick force, produced by stimulating the extensor tibiae muscle, was reduced following exposure, while stress-protein levels (Hsp70) increased. Together these results suggest that ELF EMF exposure has the capacity to cause dramatic effects from behaviour to physiology and protein expression, and this study lays the foundation to explore the ecological significance of these effects in other flying insects.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields alters the behaviour, physiology and stress protein levels of desert locusts

Wyszkowska

Shepherd

Sharkh

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Atmospherics are known to act as take-off stimulus in locusts (Bergh, 1979(Bergh, , 1985. The missing correlation between gene arrangement frequencies and the pulse rate of atmospherics in the present study is not conclusive evidence that D. subobscura is unaffected by the electromagnetic radiation.…”

Section: Weather-induced Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential flight activity among karyotypes: daily and weather-induced changes in chromosomal inversion polymorphism in natural populations of Drosophila subobscura

Gosteli

1991

Genetica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The question is posed whether karyotype frequencies in the active fraction of Drosophila subobscura populations vary consistently in the course of a day, or in accordance with weather changes. Significant daily variation occurred in all chromosomes with the exception of the sex chromosome. The proportions of the karyotypes Ust/1+2 and Ist/st decreased from early to late morning and increased during the evening. Ist/1 displayed a complementary behaviour. The homokaryotypes Ost/st and Est/st decreased both during the morning and the evening. Weather disturbances caused a remarkable variation in the frequencies of the standard gene arrangements.

show abstract

“…For many insects, flight is a key component of their behavioral repertoire and underlies not only their foraging activity but also the remarkable large-scale migrations shown by some insects such as the monarch butterfly (see review by Reppert and de Roode [2018]), and swarming activity shown in locusts [Kennedy, 1951]. In addition to the effects of anthropogenic EMFs, Bergh [1979] suggested that low-frequency EMFs caused by storms increased the take-off rate of locusts that initiate flights. Ramchandra Rao [1942] found that locusts became active and increased their flying behavior in the time leading up to a dust storm, and Clark [1969] observed increased flight activity in locusts during storm activity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, these ELF EMFs give rise to signals that can be detected thousands of kilometers away [Reiter, 1960]. Bergh [1979] suggested that locust responses to ELF EMFs from storms could be advantageous by increasing dispersal and convergence in habitats with moist sand for successful egg-laying, leading to improved reproductive success.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extremely Low‐Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Entrain Locust Wingbeats

Shepherd

Jackson

Sharkh

et al. 2021

Bioelectromagnetics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) have been shown to impact the behavior and physiology of insects. Recent studies have highlighted the need for more research to determine more specifically how they affect flying insects. Here, we ask how locust flight is affected by acute exposure to 50 Hz EMFs. We analyzed the flights of individual locusts tethered between a pair of copper wire coils generating EMFs of various frequency using high-speed video recording. The mean wingbeat frequency of tethered locusts was 18.92 ± 0.27 Hz. We found that acute exposure to 50 Hz EMFs significantly increased absolute change in wingbeat frequency in a field strength-dependent manner, with greater field strengths causing greater changes in wingbeat frequency. The effect of EMFs on wingbeat frequency depended on the initial wingbeat frequency of a locust, with locusts flying at a frequency lower than 20 Hz increasing their wingbeat frequency, while locusts flying with a wingbeat frequency higher than 20 Hz decreasing their wingbeat frequency. During the application of 50 Hz EMF, the wingbeat frequency was entrained to a 2:5 ratio (two wingbeat cycles to five EMF cycles) of the applied EMF. We then applied a range of ELF EMFs that were close to normal wingbeat frequency and found that locusts entrained to the exact frequency of the applied EMF. These results show that exposure to ELF EMFs lead to small but significant changes in wingbeat frequency in locusts. We discuss the biological implications of the coordination of insect flight in response to electromagnetic stimuli. Bioelectromagnetics.

show abstract

Electromagnetic activity in the VLF range and take-off by locusts

Cited by 9 publications

References 10 publications

Exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields alters the behaviour, physiology and stress protein levels of desert locusts

Exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields alters the behaviour, physiology and stress protein levels of desert locusts

Differential flight activity among karyotypes: daily and weather-induced changes in chromosomal inversion polymorphism in natural populations of Drosophila subobscura

Extremely Low‐Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Entrain Locust Wingbeats

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About