title: The responses of ventral cord neurons of Decticus verrucivorus (L) to sound and vibration stimuli.
abstract: The real time analysis of the song of D. verrucivorus recorded in the sun and shade shows that changes occur predominantly in the time parameters and not in the frequency content. Single unit recordings in the ventral nerve cord of D. verrucivorus show that all the acoustic units respond to both sound and vibration. However, on the basis of their response characteristics they may be classified as vibration (V), vibration and sound (VS) and sound (S) neurons. The responses of some of the units depend upon the degree of habituation. Single parameter processing was not observed; the characteristic frequencies of these units range across the whole of the frequency band investigated, and distinct intensity response fields were observed. Some of the V neurons were more sensitive than the receptors, and some units responded well to the species song when both sound and vibration were presented simultaneously. The source of the vibratory input is shown to be predominantly from the ipsilateral foreleg. Many of the units run together in an 'acoustic bundle'; some run through fibres, passing from the posterior thoracic ganglia to the cervical connectives. In many cases the primary fibres projecting to these central units can be predicted from their response characteristics. An hypothesis of the mechanisms underlying conspecific song recognition at the ventral cord level is presented.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Biologie, Philipps-Universität, D-3550 Marburg Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kühne
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klaus