Summary
The responses of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, to air currents and light flashes were observed throughout the animals' development. Animals in the first stage respond by raising their legs, in later stages the “flight” position is assumed. In larvae exhibiting the “flight” position, electrical recordings demonstrate a tonic activity of the thick thoracic muscles. A pattern that can be said to be the typical flight pattern is first seen during the day following the imaginai ecdysis. During the three weeks after this ecdysis the wingbeat frequency increases exponentially from 10 to 20 Hz. Destruction of the wing stretch receptor organs in young adults causes immediate decreases in flight frequency like in older adults. A learning process is unlikely to be involved in flight pattern formation. Possible explanations of the frequency increase are discussed.
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This work was supported in part by a Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant to Dr. W. Rathmayer.
I would like to thank Prof. Dr. F. Huber, Dr. W. Rathmayer, and Dr. L. Murdook for criticizing the manuscript, and Dr. L. Murdock for assistance in preparing the English text.
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Kutsch, W. The development of the flight pattern in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria . Z. vergl. Physiologie 74, 156–168 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339930
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339930