Am. Angioy et al., CARDIAC RESPONSES TO SENSORY STIMULATION IN THE ADULT TOBACCO BUDWORMMOTH, HELIOTHIS-VIRESCENS, Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology, 182(3), 1998, pp. 299-305
Electrocardiogram recordings were performed on intact Heliothis viresc
ens moths using Ag-AgCl electrodes positioned on the body cuticular su
rface. Regular heart activity and its changes in response to mechanica
l and olfactory stimulations were analysed. Moths were also tested in
their anemotactic orientation in response to olfactory stimulation. Re
sults show that regular cardiac activity in Heliothis is cyclical and
consists of the alternation of a high and a low spike-frequency period
. This activity pattern is strongly influenced by sensory stimulation.
Both mechanical stimulations at various intensities and olfactory sti
mulations with sex pheromone and 1-hexanol evoked tachycardiac effects
when applied during low spike-frequency cardiac activity. In contrast
, they did not affect high spike-frequency cardiac activity. It is con
cluded that the cardiac response in Heliothis is an effective indicato
r of sensory reception. It would therefore appear to represent a valid
tool for testing insect reactivity.