Central Nervous Control of Sound Production in Crickets and Some Speculations on Its Evolution

Abstract

Crickets have a highly organized acoustical behavior which is to a large extent stereotyped and predictable (Regen, 1913; Zippelius, 1949; Khalifa, 1950; Huber, 1952-1962; Haskell, 1953; Faber, 1952, 1957; H6rmann, 1957; Busnel, 1953, 1955; Walker, 1957; Alexander, 1957-1961; Alexander and Thomas, 1959; Stairk, 1958). From the physiological point of view this behavior can be analyzed right down to the properties of sensory cells, central neurons, muscles, and skeletal elements involved in the whole process. But up to now the knowledge of their properties has been insufficient for an understanding of the interaction of the single parts. In an intact animal several organs and parts of the body cooperate to develop and control a movement pattern which is organized in space and time. This pattern is the expression of a central nervous process, coordination. The present study is a brief summary of observations and experiments concerning sound production and its central nervous and peripheral control in Gryllus campestris Linnaeus (the European field cricket) and Acheta domesticus (Linnaeus) (the European house cricket).