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The motor innervation of the leg musculature and motor output during thanatosis in the stick insectCarausius morosus Br

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The motor innervation of the musculature of the prothoracic leg below the trochanter and the patterns of motor output of this motorneurone pool during the stick posture were determined by intracellular and extracellular recording from nerves and muscles.

  2. 2.

    Of the estimated total of at least 20 motorneurons innervating the leg only tonic units are active during the stick posture.

  3. 3.

    The numbers of motor units active in particular muscles varied from none (Flexor tibiae) to three (Retractor unguis).

  4. 4.

    No strong coupling was observed between any of the active units, even those innervating single muscle cells.

  5. 5.

    Most of the leg units could be excited reflexly without arousal taking place.

  6. 6.

    Evidence from behavioural observations and ablation experiments suggests that thanatosis may result from the action of interneurones inhibiting premotor elements and that these interneurones have multisegmental and multimodal inputs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

    D. H. Godden

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Bristol, BS8 1UG, Bristol, England

    D. H. Godden

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  1. D. H. Godden
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Additional information

This work was supported by an S.R.C. studentship and by U. S.P.H. grant Ns 07631 to Professors D. M. Wilson and D. Kennedy.

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Godden, D.H. The motor innervation of the leg musculature and motor output during thanatosis in the stick insectCarausius morosus Br. J. Comp. Physiol. 80, 201–225 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00696491

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00696491

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