Identification of available travel paths’ size and orientation by antennal mechanosensory system of crickets

Abstract

Insects use their antennae to explore surroundings and guide locomotion. Recently, we found that crickets modulate escape behavior elicited by airflow stimuli detected by another mechanosensory organ, called cerci, to avoid collision with obstacles detected with their antennae. This suggests the spatial perception ability of crickets through antennal mechano-sensing without visual inputs. However, whether they are able to identify travel paths available for their movements remains unknown. To assess this, we used the same experimental framework with wind stimulation as our previous studies and tested whether crickets could perceive the width or direction of an available escape path in surroundings using their antennae. When detecting a wall in front with gap openings of different widths, the crickets changed the movement direction of their escape responses depending on the gap width. If the gap was wider than their body width, the crickets ran forward, suggesting that they could recognize the space available for passage of their body width. In addition, the crickets adjusted their escape direction toward the wall gap when it was oriented at 30° to the side of their front. These results suggest that the crickets are able to perceive the spatial information of surroundings, such as size and orientation, available for upcoming movements via their antennal mechanosensory system.