Response to Cercal Stimulation recorded in the Cricket Brain

Abstract

THE responses of the cercal receptors of orthopterous insects have been known for a long time. In cockroaches and crickets nerve fibres from the sense organs synapse in the last abdominal ganglion with giant fibres; in the former insect at least the system is a simple relay initiating escape responses^1,2. In crickets the cerci possess a variety of mechanoreceptors and have, among others, a tactile function in song and courtship^3,4. Although the brain is primarily responsible for controlling speed and duration of movement of the animal following cereal stimulation^4,5, neural activity in response to such stimulation has been recorded only as far forward as the suboesophageal ganglion⁴.