PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVATION OF STRIDULATORY BEHAVIOUR IN THE GRASSHOPPER CHORTHIPPUS ALBOMARGINATUS (ORTHOPTERA: GOMPHOCERINAE)

V. Yu. Vedenina*, R. Heinrich**, N. Elsner**

*Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 101447, Russia
**Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Neurobiology, D-37073 Goettingen, Germany

ABSTRACT

Calling and courtship stridulatory behaviour of Chorthippus albomarginatus was induced by the injection of acetylcholine agonists into the protocerebrum. Pharmacologically induced stridulation was quite similar to the natural behaviour. However, the order of the courtship element alternation was different from that of the natural song. In some cases pharmacologically induced stridulation included only one or two courtship elements. Based on the exclusive stimulation of a particular element of courtship songs and similarity of its movement pattern with the calling song, both patterns of Ch. albomarginatus stridulation appear to be homologous.The results obtained on this species support the idea about a hierarchic organization of the central nervous control of stridulation in gomphocerine grasshoppers and indicate the participation of the definite cephalic structures in this control.