Synchronization of wing beat cycle of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, by periodic light flashes

Schmeling, Fabian; Stange, Gert; Homberg, Uwe

doi:10.1007/s00359-010-0505-9

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The entrainment of oscillatory motor activity by external inputs is found throughout the animal kingdom [Wilson and Cook, 2016], including the flight motor pattern of locusts [Schmelling et al, 2010]. In fireflies, for example, flashing by males can be synchronized to the flashing of other males [Buck, 1988], while the swimmeret rhythm of crayfish can be entrained to a rhythmical mechanical movement of a number of other swimmerets [Deller and MacMillan, 1989].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many bird species, there is a coordination between wingbeats and respiration, which is thought to confer an energetic advantage [Funk et al, 1997]. A number of studies have also shown that the wing movements of locusts can synchronize to repetitive visual inputs (light flashes, [Waldron, 1968;Schmelling et al, 2010]) and also to the wing movements of other locusts in a swarm [Kutsch et al, 1994;Camhi et al, 1995]. The latter had been shown to be due to a wake of turbulent air produced by other locusts, which again is thought to provide an aerodynamic advantage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extremely Low‐Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Entrain Locust Wingbeats

Shepherd

Jackson

Sharkh

et al. 2021

Bioelectromagnetics

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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.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

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“…CPGs were originally discovered in locusts [13], in which CPGs provide the neural rhythm for the activity of the thoracic flight muscles giving rise to the wing motion. Synaptic input from the sensory system modulates these patterns to achieve flight control [14][15][16]. An entirely different actuation mechanism is found in flies, whose highly specialized flight apparatus likewise serves as a model to explore fundamental control mechanisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limit-cycle-based control of the myogenic wingbeat rhythm in the fruit flyDrosophila

Bartussek

Mutlu

Zapotocky

et al. 2013

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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In many animals, rhythmic motor activity is governed by neural limit cycle oscillations under the control of sensory feedback. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the wingbeat rhythm is generated myogenically by stretchactivated muscles and hence independently from direct neural input. In this study, we explored if generation and cycle-by-cycle control of Drosophila's wingbeat are functionally separated, or if the steering muscles instead couple into the myogenic rhythm as a weak forcing of a limit cycle oscillator. We behaviourally tested tethered flying flies for characteristic properties of limit cycle oscillators. To this end, we mechanically stimulated the fly's 'gyroscopic' organs, the halteres, and determined the phase relationship between the wing motion and stimulus. The flies synchronized with the stimulus for specific ranges of stimulus amplitude and frequency, revealing the characteristic Arnol'd tongues of a forced limit cycle oscillator. Rapid periodic modulation of the wingbeat frequency prior to locking demonstrates the involvement of the fast steering muscles in the observed control of the wingbeat frequency. We propose that the mechanical forcing of a myogenic limit cycle oscillator permits flies to avoid the comparatively slow control based on a neural central pattern generator.

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The effects of temperature on signalling in ocellar neurons of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria

Simmons

2011

J Comp Physiol A

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In Schistocerca gregaria ocellar pathways, large second-order L-neurons use graded potentials to communicate signals from the ocellar retina to third-order neurons in the protocerebrum. A third-order neuron, DNI, converts graded potentials into axonal spikes that have been shown in experiments at room temperature to be sparse and precisely timed. I investigated effects of temperature changes that a locust normally experiences on these signals. With increased temperature, response latency decreases and frequency responses of the neurons increase. Both the graded potential responses in the two types of neuron and the spikes in DNI report greater detail about a fluctuating light stimulus. Over a rise from 22 to 35°C the power spectrum of the L-neuron response encompasses higher frequencies and its information capacity increases from about 600 to 1,700 bits/s. DNI generates spikes more often during a repeated stimulus but at all temperatures it reports rapid decreases in light rather than providing a continual measure of light intensity. Information rate carried by spike trains increases from about 50 to 185 bits/s. At warmer temperatures, increased performance by ocellar interneurons may contribute to improved aerobatic performance by delivering spikes earlier and in response to smaller, faster light stimuli.

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Synchronization of wing beat cycle of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, by periodic light flashes

Cited by 5 publications

References 46 publications

Extremely Low‐Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Entrain Locust Wingbeats

Extremely Low‐Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Entrain Locust Wingbeats

Limit-cycle-based control of the myogenic wingbeat rhythm in the fruit flyDrosophila

The effects of temperature on signalling in ocellar neurons of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria

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