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Ability of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)to compensate for visual deprivation during the final pre-adult and adult stages

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In the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forsskål), vision is a seemingly indispensable prerequisite for many behaviour patterns. The question arises as to whether and to what extent other senses can compensate for the loss of vision, and whether this can take place in the adult stage. To answer this question, both of the compound eyes of nymphs in the final pre-adult stage are blinded (but not the ocelli),resulting in permanent visual deprivation during adult life. The results are somewhat unexpected: under laboratory conditions, in comparison with sighted controls, the
blinded locusts do not exhibit any noticeable change in overall agility relative to daily activity, nor any detriment in terms of the final moult, reproductive rate or longevity.In their search for a specific food source in an experimental arena with a narrow passage between the compartment where the animals are released and the compartment
containing food, in the first trial, visually deprived females need significantly more time than the sighted controls. However with an increasing number of trials, each performed after 1 day of food deprivation, the food finding latency of blinded locusts (S. gregaria)approaches or even surpasses that of normally sighted locusts. The blinded locusts use
their antennae, mouthparts and tarsi more extensively, suggesting a more frequent use of tactile and chemical cues, which they gradually learn to use more efficiently. The results indicate that pre-adult and adult S. gregaria can respond to abrupt, permanent changes in their sensory inputs, and have a significant capacity for adaptation.

Key words. Behavioural plasticity, mushroom bodies, Schistocerca gregaria, sensory compensation, visual deprivation.

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Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

Physiological Entomology

No. Panggil

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Penerbit

: The Royal Entomological Society., 2016

Deskripsi Fisik

Physiological Entomology (2016) 41, 83–90

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

DOI: 10.1111/phen.12

Klasifikasi

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Tipe Isi

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Tipe Media

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Tipe Pembawa

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Edisi

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Subjek

BIOLOGI

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

Wati/Agus

Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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