Abstract
Phasmids exhibit twig mimesis as defense mechanism against predators. Most detailed information on the neural basis of this particular behavior is existing for the femur-tibia joint of the stick insect leg. The neural network controlling the activities of the extensor tibiae and the flexor tibiae muscles of this leg joint generates the motor output for catalepsy. Catalepsy, an element of twig mimesis is characterized through extremely slow return movements in response to external perturbations. This property of the neural network governing the femur-tibia joint sets phasmids apart from other orthopteran insect species, e.g. locusts, which do not generate twig mimesis. Cybernetic and comparative analyses have shown that catalepsy is produced by an increased sensitivity of the belonging joint control network to movement velocity. This is achieved by the particular processing of sensory feedback signals about movements of the tibia provided by the femoral chordotonal organ, the main transducer of the femur-tibia joint. This chapter summarizes the present knowledge concerning the neural basis of catalepsy and twig mimesis in the stick insect.
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Büschges, A., Pflüger, HJ., Bässler, U. (2021). Catalepsy and Twig Mimesis in Insects and Its Neural Control. In: Sakai, M. (eds) Death-Feigning in Insects. Entomology Monographs. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6598-8_9
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