Summary
Locusts, Locusta migratoria, flying under closed-loop conditions in a flight simulator, control the stability of their visual environment by means of correctional steering and so minimize retinal slip (the optomotor reaction). Correctional steering includes modulation of the wingbeat, ruddering with abdomen and legs and compensatory head movements. Pulsed ultrasounds that simulate bat echolocation signals elicit avoidance steering in flying locusts: ruddering and yaw torque are directed away from the sound source. In this article the two modes of steering are compared and their interaction is studied.
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1.
In both correctional and avoidance steering ruddering is directed to the side of the turn. However, during correctional manoeuvres, head movements are also directed to the side of the turn, while during avoidance steering the head moves in the direction opposite to that of the turn (Fig. 4).
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2.
The components and temporal organization of both sorts of steering are similar. Head movements occur some 30–40 ms after torque production begins (Fig. 5). Thus, neither correctional nor avoidance steering is initiated by head movements.
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3.
Under closed-loop conditions, avoidance steering generates pronounced rotation of the panorama (Figs. 6, 7) that is not counteracted by the compensatory optomotor reflex.
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4.
Acoustically elicited head turns are also performed in darkness (Fig. 4a), and irrespective of the sign of the visual reafference (Fig. 9), which indicates that they are temporarily independent of visual information. A mechanism is proposed in which optomotor interference is prevented by an inhibitory corollary discharge of acoustic origin.
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5.
Locusts prevented from moving their heads still perform avoidance turns (Fig. 8), but these are of shorter duration than when the head is free.
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6.
The role of head movements in steering is discussed. It is proposed that neck proprioception assists visual and acoustic information in adaptive flight steering. Head movements in closed-loop corrective steering reduce steering overshoot; during avoidance steering opposite head movements may in turn favor steering overshoot.
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Robert, D., Rowell, C.H.F. Locust flight steering. J Comp Physiol A 171, 53–62 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195960
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195960