Journal of Comparative Physiology A

, Volume 166, Issue 6, pp 915–927 | Cite as

Responses and locations of neurones in the locust metathoracic femoral chordotonal organ

  • Thomas Matheson
Article
Accepted:

Summary

Insect legs possess chordotonal organs which monitor leg angle, and the direction, velocity and acceleration of leg movements. The locust metathoracic femoral chordotonal organ (mtFCO) has previously been studied morphologically and physiologically, but no detailed analysis of the responses of individual neurones, and their location in the organ has so far been produced. By recording from, and staining mtFCO neurones I have been able to compile for the first time such a map. The distribution of neurone somata in the locust mtFCO is more complex than previously thought: receptors sensitive to both stretch and relaxation of the apodeme are distributed throughout the organ. Seventeen response types were encountered. Neurones with a particular response type have somata in comparable locations within the mtFCO. Comparisons are made between the response types found in the stick insect and those in the locust. The possible functions of some of the responses are discussed.

Key words

Locust Femoral chordontal organ Proprioceptor Walking 

Abbreviation

(mt)FCO

(metathoracic) femoral chordotonal organ

F-T

femur-tibia

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1990

Authors and Affiliations

  • Thomas Matheson
    • 1
  1. 1.Zoology DepartmentUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand

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