Post-molting development of wind-elicited escape behavior in the cricket

2019

Sci Rep

Self Cite

To survive a predator’s attack successfully, animals choose appropriate actions from multiple escape responses. The motor performance of escape response governs successful survival, which implies that the action selection in escape behaviour is based on the trade-off between competing behavioural benefits. Thus, quantitative assessment of motor performance will shed light on the biological basis of decision-making. To explore the trade-off underlying the action selection, we focused on two distinct wind-elicited escape responses of crickets, running and jumping. We first hypothesized a trade-off between speed and directional accuracy. This hypothesis was rejected because crickets could control the escape direction in jumping as precisely as in running; further, jumping had advantages with regard to escape speed. Next, we assumed behavioural flexibility, including responsiveness to additional predator’s attacks, as a benefit of running. The double stimulus experiment revealed that crickets running in the first response could respond more frequently to a second stimulus and control the movement direction more precisely compared to when they chose jumping for the first response. These data suggest that not only the motor performance but also the future adaptability of subsequent behaviours are considered as behavioural benefits, which may be used for choosing appropriate escape reactions.

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The wind-elicited response was analysed as reported previously 40 . Responding or not was defined based on translational velocity.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Trade-off between motor performance and behavioural flexibility in the action selection of cricket escape behaviour

Sato

2019

Sci Rep

Self Cite

Central projections of cercal giant interneurons in the adult field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus

Yamao

J of Comparative Neurology

2022

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The structures of neurons, such as dendrites and axonal projections, are closely related to their response properties and their specific functions in neural circuits. Identified neurons, having genetically determined morphological features and pre‐ and postsynaptic partners, play significant roles in specific behaviors. Giant interneurons (GIs) are identified in the terminal abdominal ganglion of the cricket as mechanosensory projection neurons and are sensitive to airflow stimulation of the cerci. GIs are classified into ventral GIs (vGIs) or dorsal GIs (dGIs) depending on the location of their axons running within the connective nerve cord. Based on their response properties to airflow, vGIs are presumed to be involved in triggering the wind‐elicited escape response, whereas dGIs are thought to be airflow direction‐encoding neurons. The previous findings regarding airflow sensitivity point to possible differences in the morphology of the central projections that may correspond to their neural functions. However, the detailed morphologies of the GIs in the cephalic and thoracic ganglia of adult crickets remain unclear. In this study, we stained six GIs, namely, GI 8‐1 (medial giant interneuron, MGI), 9‐1 (lateral giant interneuron, LGI), 9‐2, 9‐3, 10‐2, and 10‐3, using intracellular iontophoretic or pressure injection of dyes. Staining revealed remarkable differences in the axonal branching patterns between vGIs and dGIs. The dGIs were further divided into subgroups based on the profiles of their axon collaterals and projection sites in the brain. The anatomical differences between the GIs’ central projections seemed to be related to their information encodement and behavioral functions.

Action selection based on multiple-stimulus aspects in wind-elicited escape behavior of crickets

Sato

2022

Heliyon

Self Cite

Escape behavior is essential for animals to avoid attacks by predators. In some species, multiple escape responses could be employed. However, it remains unknown what aspects of threat stimuli affect the choice of an escape response. We focused on two distinct escape responses (running and jumping) to short airflow in crickets and examined the effects of multiple stimulus aspects including the angle, velocity, and duration on the choice between these responses. The faster and longer the airflow, the more frequently the crickets jumped. This meant that the choice of an escape response depends on both the velocity and duration of the stimulus and suggests that the neural basis for choosing an escape response includes the integration process of multiple stimulus parameters. In addition, the moving speed and distance changed depending on the stimulus velocity and duration for running but not for jumping. Running away would be more adaptive escape behavior.