The air-puff evoked escape behavior of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus andits compensational recovery after cereal ablations

The air-puff evoked escape behavior of the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, wa s investigated. Crickets almost always escaped away from the stimulus sourc e, in an optimal condition, the mean escape direction was 162 degrees oppos ite to the stimulus source. Stronger (higher velocity) air-puff elicited an escape in larger number of crickets. However, the escape direction became incorrect when the stimulus was too strong. Crickets with bilateral cereal ablation did not show any escape to an air-p uff, while unilaterally ablated ones did respond to the same stimulus with an escape. However, the response rate of animals with unilateral cereal abl ation was lower than that in intact animals. Although the mean escape direc tion of the crickets with unilateral cereal ablation was still opposite to the stimulus source, the direction was not so accurate as in intact animals . About 6 days after the unilateral cereal ablation, the response rate showed a statistically significant compensational recovery. On the other hand, 14 days were necessary for the recovery of the escape direction. Information which regulating the response rate and the behavioral orientation is likely being processed in different neural pathways.