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Central projections of leg sense organs inCarausius morosus (Insecta, Phasmida)

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Summary

The present study describes the central projections of leg proprioceptors important in resistance reflexes and in the control of leg movement in the stick insect. The following proprioceptors were studied: the femoral chordotonal organ and the campaniform sensilla on the proximal femur, the hair plate, the hair field and three groups of campaniform sensilla on the trochanter, and the two hair plates and four hair rows on the coxa. For comparison, single tactile hairs on the sternum, coxa, trochanter, and femur were also investigated. Afferent fibers were backfilled with cobalt and the central projections were studied in wholemounts and in sections. Results are compared with those from other insects and arthropods. Results for all three thoracic ganglia are similar. Projections of all the proprioceptors are confined to the ipsilateral half of the segmental ganglion. They all terminate in four common target areas — two each in the lateral and in the intermediate part of the hemiganglion. The two lateral areas lie rostrally and caudally in dorsal neuropile occupied by motoneuron processes. The two intermediate areas lie rostrally and caudally in midventral neuropile lateral to the ventral intermediate tract (VIT). These intermediate areas include part of the ventral coarse-grained neuropile (vcN). Target areas of different proprioceptors overlap considerably, but the intermediate projections of the campaniform sensilla lie slightly closer together than those of the other organs. In addition to these four areas, the afferent fibers of the femoral chordotonal organ (fCO) project to two medial target areas extending into neuropile medial to the VIT. Afferent fibers from the various sense organs reach these common target areas using different pathways, but these pathways share some common elements. Afferent fibers from one organ can follow several alternative pathways to the common target areas. The intermediate areas are reached by projections which form a rostral and a caudal prong extending medially in midventral neuropile. Fibers enter these rostral and caudal prongs either along the lateral margin of the ganglion (a path referred to as a lateral longitudinal bundle) or by crossing from one to the other through coarse-grained neuropile occupying the central core of each hemiganglion (a path referred to as an intermediate longitudinal bundle). Collaterals entering the dorsolateral target areas rise either directly along the margin of the neuropile or from the intermediate longitudinal bundle. The medial target areas of the fCO projections are reached by a third branch which proceeds from the margin of the ganglion medioventrally between the anterior and posterior prongs and then bifurcates. Fibers from different organs follow different routes to reach common target areas. In addition, fibers from the same organ vary in their distribution among alternative pathways. Projections from tactile hairs on the sternum, coxa, trochanter, and femur are quite different from those of the proprioceptive hairs. They proceed medially along the ventral margin of the ganglion to terminate in a loose plexus within medial parts of the ventral association center.

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Abbreviations

ac :

anterior connective

aCSv, d :

anterior groups (ventral and dorsal) of trochanteral campaniform sensilla

adN :

anterior dorsal neuropile

alN :

anterior lateral neuropile

aVAC :

anterior part of ventral association center

cdl :

caudo-dorsal-lateral terminal area

CO :

chordotonal organ

CS :

campaniform sensilla

CT :

C-tract

cvi :

caudo-ventro-intermediate terminal area

cvm :

caudo-ventro-medial terminal area

cxHPv, d :

ventral and dorsal coxal hair plates (hair plates 2, 3 of Wendler 1964)

cxHR1-4 :

four rows of proprioceptive hairs on the posterior and ventral coxa, numbered from ventral to dorsal

DCI-VI :

dorsal commissures I–VI

DIT :

dorsal intermediate tract

DMT :

dorsal medial tract

dVCII :

dorsal aspect of ventral commissure II

fCO :

femoral chordotonal organ

fCS :

femoral group of campaniform sensilla

hN :

horseshoe neuropile

HP :

hair plate

ilb :

intermediate longitudinal bundle

llb :

lateral longitudinal bundle

LDT :

lateral dorsal tract

lVAC :

lateral part of ventral association center

LVT :

lateral ventral tract

mcN :

medial coarse neuropile

MDT :

medial dorsal tract

mtr :

midline trachea

MVT :

medial ventral tract

na :

nervus anterioris

ncr :

nervus cruris (main leg nerve)

nl1-5 :

nervus lateralis 1–5

np :

nervus posterioris

pc :

posterior connective

pCS :

posterior group of trochanteral campaniform sensilla

pdN :

posterior dorsal neuropile

plN :

posterior lateral neuropile

PVC :

posterior ventral commissure

rdl :

rostro-dorso-lateral terminal area

rvi :

rostro-ventro-intermediate terminal area

rvm :

rostro-ventro-medial terminal area

SMC :

supramedian commissure

tr :

trachea

trHP :

trochanteral hair plate (hair plate 1 of Wendler 1964)

trHF :

trochanteral hair field (rhomboidal hair plate of Tatar 1976)

TT :

T-tract

VCI :

ventral commissure I

vcN :

ventral coarse neuropile

VIT :

ventral intermediate tract

VLT :

ventral lateral tract

VMT :

ventral medial tract

vVAC :

ventral part of ventral association center

vVCII :

ventral aspect of ventral commissure II

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  1. R. Kittmann

    Present address: Zoologie II, Universität Erlangen, Staudtstr. 5, W-8520, Erlangen, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Biokybernetik und Theoretische Biologie, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 8640, W-4800, Bielefeld 1, Germany

    J. Schmitz & J. Dean

  2. Fakultät für Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Postfach 5560, W-7750, Konstanz, Germany

    R. Kittmann

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Schmitz, J., Dean, J. & Kittmann, R. Central projections of leg sense organs inCarausius morosus (Insecta, Phasmida). Zoomorphology 111, 19–33 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01632707

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