Temperature-dependence of neuronal performance in the motion pathway of the blowfly Calliphora erythrocephala

Raising the head temperature within a behaviourally relevant range has stro ng effects on the performance of an identified neuron, the H1 neuron, in th e visual motion pathway of blowflies. The effect is seen as an increase in the mean amplitude of the responses to motion under both transient and stea dy-state conditions, a considerable decrease in the response latency and an improvement in the reliability of the responses to motion. These temperatu re-dependent effects are independent of whether the animal is exposed to tr ansient temperature changes or is maintained continuously at the same tempe rature for its entire life. The changes in the neuronal response properties with temperature mag be of immediate functional significance for the anima l under its normal operating conditions. In particular, the decrease in lat ency and the improvement in the reliability with increasing temperature mag be relevant for the fly when executing its extremely virtuosic flight mano euvres.