Division of Biological Sciences, 136 Liberal Arts Bldg, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2011 Nov 12;366(1581):3006-15. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0149.
Orthopteroid insects (cockroaches, crickets, locusts and related species) allow examination of active sensory processing in a comparative framework. Some orthopteroids possess long, mobile antennae endowed with many chemo- and mechanoreceptors. When the antennae are touched, an animal's response depends upon the identity of the stimulus. For example, contact with a predator may lead to escape, but contact with a conspecific may usually not. Active touch of an approaching object influences the likelihood that a discrimination of identity will be made. Using cockroaches, we have identified specific descending mechanosensory interneurons that trigger antennal-mediated escape. Crucial sensory input to these cells comes from chordotonal organs within the antennal base. However, information from other receptors on the base or the long antennal flagellum allows active touch to modulate escape probability based on stimulus identity. This is conveyed, at least to some extent, by textural information. Guidance of the antennae in active exploration depends on visual information. Some of the visual interneurons and the motor neurons necessary for visuomotor control have been identified. Comparisons across Orthoptera suggest an evolutionary model where subtle changes in the architecture of interneurons, and of sensorimotor control loops, may explain differing levels of vision-touch interaction in the active guidance of behaviour.
直翅目昆虫（蟑螂、蟋蟀、蝗虫和相关物种）允许在比较框架中检查活跃的感觉处理。一些直翅目昆虫拥有长而灵活的触角，其上有许多化学感受器和机械感受器。当触角被触碰时，动物的反应取决于刺激的身份。例如，与捕食者的接触可能导致逃避，但与同种的接触通常不会。接近物体的主动触摸会影响对身份进行区分的可能性。我们使用蟑螂确定了触发触角介导的逃避的特定下行机械感觉中间神经元。这些细胞的关键感觉输入来自触角基部的弦音器。然而，来自基部或长触角鞭节上其他感受器的信息允许主动触摸根据刺激身份来调节逃避概率。至少在某种程度上，这是通过纹理信息来传递的。触角在主动探索中的引导取决于视觉信息。已经确定了一些视觉中间神经元和进行视动控制所需的运动神经元。在直翅目动物之间的比较表明，神经元结构和感觉运动控制回路的细微变化可能解释了在行为的主动引导中不同程度的视觉触摸相互作用。
