spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Camhi, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Johnson, E. N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Camhi, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Johnson, E. N.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 202, Issue 5 631-643, Copyright © 1999 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

High-frequency steering maneuvers mediated by tactile cues: antennal wall-following in the cockroach

JM Camhi and EN Johnson
Department of Cell and Animal Biology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. jeff@vms.huji.ac.il

Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) use their antennae to detect a wall and to maintain a constant distance from it as they walk or run along it. The faster they run, the closer they position themselves to the wall. They also use their antennae to detect and follow multiple accordion-like projections in the wall. They can make up to 25 body turns s-1 for short periods during rapid running to follow such wall projections. Each turn apparently involves a change in stepping direction. These turns help to avoid collisions with the outward projections, while keeping the body close to the wall. Sensory inputs from the flagellum of the antenna, and not from its base, appear to evoke the turns in response to wall projections. These flagellar inputs appear to report the position along the antenna of its contact with the wall and/or the position of the consequent antennal bend. This flagellar information constitutes a one-dimensional sensory map, with location along the map indicating the distance to the wall.




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1999