The Central Nervous Control of Flight in A Locust

Abstract

The co-ordination of the flight movements of Schistocerca gregaria Forskål was examined in order to determine the extent of central patterning and reflex control. Electrical recordings from wing sensory nerves showed many units which responded to wing movements of various kinds. During flight the sensory discharge was timed to certain phases of the wing-beat cycle. Surgical removal of the sources of timed input did not abolish patterned output, which resembled that during flight, but the frequency of cycling was considerably reduced. Either electrical stimulation of the nerve cord or continuous wind on the head could elicit the pattern. A multiplicity of oscillators in the flight control system was demonstrated. It is suggested that the basic co-ordination of flight is an inherent function of the central nervous system but that peripheral feedback loops influence the frequency of operation and details of pattern.