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Wireless Stimulation of Antennal Muscles in Freely Flying Hawkmoths Leads to Flight Path Changes

Author(s)
Hinterwirth, Armin J.; Medina, Billie; Lockey, Jacob; Otten, David M.; Voldman, Joel; Lang, Jeffrey H.; Hildebrand, John G.; Daniel, Tom L.; ... Show more Show less
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Abstract
Insect antennae are sensory organs involved in a variety of behaviors, sensing many different stimulus modalities. As mechanosensors, they are crucial for flight control in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. One of their roles is to mediate compensatory reflexes of the abdomen in response to rotations of the body in the pitch axis. Abdominal motions, in turn, are a component of the steering mechanism for flying insects. Using a radio controlled, programmable, miniature stimulator, we show that ultra-low-current electrical stimulation of antennal muscles in freely-flying hawkmoths leads to repeatable, transient changes in the animals' pitch angle, as well as less predictable changes in flight speed and flight altitude. We postulate that by deflecting the antennae we indirectly stimulate mechanoreceptors at the base, which drive compensatory reflexes leading to changes in pitch attitude.
Date issued
2012-12
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78614
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics
Journal
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Citation
Hinterwirth, Armin J., Billie Medina, Jacob Lockey, et al. Wireless Stimulation of Antennal Muscles in Freely Flying Hawkmoths Leads to Flight Path Changes. Mark A. Frye, ed. PLoS ONE 7(12): e52725.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
1932-6203

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