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The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 307-320 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

Implanted electrode recordings from a praying mantis auditory interneuron during flying bat attacks

Jeffrey D. Triblehorn^* and David D. Yager

Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-4411, USA

*e-mail: jtriblehorn{at}psyc.umd.edu

Accepted 14 November 2001

Using an implanted electrode, we recorded the responses from the ultrasound-sensitive mantis interneuron 501-T3 during flying bat attacks in a large flight room where the mantis served as the target. 501-T3 responds to each vocalization emitted with multi-spike bursts when pulse repetition rates (PRRs) are below 55 pulses s^–1. As PRR increases and pulse durations fall below 3 ms, 501-T3 ceases burst activity. On average, spike bursts cease 272 ms before contact (when the bat is 73 cm away from the preparation). The timing of cessation of activity in 501-T3 is similar to the latency for the diving portion of the response of the mantid (242 ms). Experiments using vocalizing stationary bats confirm that 501-T3 responds more reliably to longer pulse durations (3 ms) when intensities are below 90 dB pe SPL. The cessation of 501-T3 activity is probably due both to the increasing PRR and to the decreasing pulse duration that occur in the terminal buzz phase of a bat attack. 501-T3 may be actively shut off at high PRRs and/or intensities to protect the interneuron from habituation while the mantis performs an escape response. The cessation of 501-T3 activity is consistent with the lack of a very late ultrasound-mediated evasive response by the mantis. However, cessation of 501-T3 activity may allow a true ‘last-chance’ response to be mediated by other neural systems.

Key words: audition, defence, behaviour, Dictyoptera, echolocation, insect, hearing, Parasphendale affinis, mantid, Mantodea, neuroethology, neurophysiology.

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