Strepsipteran forewings are haltere-like organs of equilibrium

Pix, Waltraud; Nalbach, G.; Zeil, Jochen

doi:10.1007/bf01138795

Cited by 50 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that the wing campaniform sensilla induce reflexes involved in the control of body dynamics, a sensory role predicted by Pringle (Pringle, 1948;Pringle, 1957). Our findings that wing pitch perturbations in M. sexta elicit an abdominal reflex are also consistent with the effect of virtual pitch rotations on the blowfly Calliphora erythrocephala (Nalbach and Hengstenberg, 1994) and the effect of yaw rotations on the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum (Pix et al, 1993).…”

Section: Wing Campaniforms Provide Sensory Feedback To Abdominal Respsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Studies on the role of inertial sensing in insect flight have typically looked at responses to whole-body rotations as well as the impact of sensor ablation (Bender and Dickinson, 2006;Dickinson, 1999;Hengstenberg, 1988;Hinterwirth and Daniel, 2010;Nalbach and Hengstenberg, 1994;Pix et al, 1993;Sane et al, 2007;Sherman and Dickinson, 2003;Sherman and Dickinson, 2004;Viollet and Zeil, 2013). The primary drawback of testing the effect of campaniform ablation with our experimental setup is the technical challenge of eliminating each of the nearly 250 campaniform sensilla per wing.…”

Section: Wing Campaniforms Provide Sensory Feedback To Abdominal Respmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While previous research highlights the importance of wing proprioceptive input during flight, the wings of modern insects may retain the ability to initiate reflexes that control body dynamics in a manner similar to the visual or inertial sensory systems (Dyhr et al, 2013;Hengstenberg, 1988;Hinterwirth and Daniel, 2010;Pix et al, 1993). To explore this issue, we combined anatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral studies and determined that the wings of M. sexta can indeed function as sensors that induce steering reflexes, suggesting that the capacity to use wings as sensory structures may be common to most flying insects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While visual input is crucial for maintaining stability (Dyhr et al, 2013), the transduction mechanism of insect visual systems results in processing speeds that may be too slow to account for the rapid behaviors observed in free flight (Land and Collett, 1974;Theobald et al, 2010). Thus, insects combine visual input with extremely fast and precise mechanoreception (Bender and Dickinson, 2006;Fayyazuddin and Dickinson, 1996;Fox and Daniel, 2008;Hinterwirth and Daniel, 2010;Huston and Krapp, 2009;Pix et al, 1993;Sherman and Dickinson, 2004) to navigate through complex, unpredictable environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During rotational maneuvers or instabilities during flight, halteres experience an inertial force that is orthogonal to the plane of oscillation (the Coriolis force), the detection of which mediates these compensatory reflexes (Dickinson, 1999;Nalbach and Hengstenberg, 1994;Pringle, 1948;Sherman and Dickinson, 2003). Yet while halteres are actuated structures, they serve no known aerodynamic function and are only found in these two insect orders (Pix et al, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Control of moth flight posture is mediated by wing mechanosensory feedback

Dickerson

Aldworth

Daniel

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

105

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Flying insects rapidly stabilize after perturbations using both visual and mechanosensory inputs for active control. Insect halteres are mechanosensory organs that encode inertial forces to aid rapid course correction during flight but serve no aerodynamic role and are specific to two orders of insects (Diptera and Strepsiptera). Aside from the literature on halteres and recent work on the antennae of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, it is unclear how other flying insects use mechanosensory information to control body dynamics. The mechanosensory structures found on the halteres, campaniform sensilla, are also present on wings, suggesting that the wings can encode information about flight dynamics. We show that the neurons innervating these sensilla on the forewings of M. sexta exhibit spiketiming precision comparable to that seen in previous reports of campaniform sensilla, including haltere neurons. In addition, by attaching magnets to the wings of moths and subjecting these animals to a simulated pitch stimulus via a rotating magnetic field during tethered flight, we elicited the same vertical abdominal flexion reflex these animals exhibit in response to visual or inertial pitch stimuli. Our results indicate that, in addition to their role as actuators during locomotion, insect wings serve as sensors that initiate reflexes that control body dynamics.

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Section: Wing Campaniforms Provide Sensory Feedback To Abdominal Respsupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Wing Campaniforms Provide Sensory Feedback To Abdominal Respmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Control of moth flight posture is mediated by wing mechanosensory feedback

Dickerson

Aldworth

Daniel

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

105

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Functional morphology of insect mechanoreceptors

Keil

1997

Microsc. Res. Tech.

390

304

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This paper reviews the structure and function of insect mechanoreceptors with respect to their cellular, subcellular, and cuticular organization. Four types are described and their function is discussed: 1, the bristles; 2, the trichobothria; 3, the campaniform sensilla; and 4, the scolopidia. Usually, bristles respond to touch, trichobothria to air currents and sound, campaniform sensilla to deformation of the cuticle, and scolopidia to stretch. Mechanoreceptors are composed of four cells: a bipolar sensory neuron, which is enveloped by the thecogen, the trichogen, and the tormogen cells. Apically, the neuron gives off a ciliary dendrite which is attached to the stimulustransmitting cuticular structures. In types 1-3, the tip of the dendrite contains a highly organized cytoskeletal complex of microtubules, the ''tubular body,'' which is connected to the dendritic membrane via short rods, the ''membrane-integrated cones'' (MICs). The dendritic membrane is attached to the cuticle via fine attachment fibers. The hair-type sensilla (types 1, 2) are constructed as first-order levers, which transmit deflection of the hair directly to the dendrite tip. In campaniform sensilla (type 3), there is a cuticular dome instead of a hair and the dendrite is stimulated by deformation of the cuticle. In these three types, a slight lateral compression of the dendrite tip is most probably the effective stimulus. In scolopidia, the dendritic membrane is most probably stimulated by stretch. On the subcellular level, connectors between the cytoskeleton, the dendritic membrane, and extracellular (cuticular) structures are present in all four types and are thought to be engaged in membrane depolarization.

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Resilin in Insect Flight Systems

Appel,

Michels,

Gorb

2023

Adv Funct Materials

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Compared to wingless insects, pterygote insects profit from numerous wing‐related benefits including a wider distribution range, the exploitation of various food resources and the escape from water‐ or land‐confined predators. In order to maintain the wings´ functionality, the wing design and resistance to material fatigue are of key importance. This is even more essential for survival when considering that wings are used for millions of wing beat cycles but cannot be repaired and do not contain inner muscles so that their aerodynamic performance is mainly based on passive, structure‐based wing deformations. One of the components serving this purpose is the endowment of certain wing components with the elastomeric protein resilin building stable and complex material composites with the tanned cuticle. Resilin endows the respective structures with, e.g., higher flexibility and compliance and enables elastic energy storage. In this study, the occurrence of resilin in the insect flight system is reviewed based on previous studies of several insect orders including Odonata, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Dermaptera, and Diptera, and the function of resilin is discussed with reference to the respective structures.

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Strepsipteran forewings are haltere-like organs of equilibrium

Cited by 50 publications

References 5 publications

Control of moth flight posture is mediated by wing mechanosensory feedback

Control of moth flight posture is mediated by wing mechanosensory feedback

Functional morphology of insect mechanoreceptors

Resilin in Insect Flight Systems

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