Thompson K J
J Exp Biol. 1986 May;122:387-411. doi: 10.1242/jeb.122.1.387.
The ovipositor appendages of acridid insects (grasshoppers and locusts) consist of two pairs of shovel-shaped valves that are used to dig a deep chamber in the ground for egg burial, to manipulate the eggs, and to assist in capping the egg-pod with froth. During oviposition the valves undergo cyclical opening, closing, retraction and protraction movements. These movements are produced by the contractions of ten pairs of muscles. The eighth and ninth segmental nerves of the terminal abdominal ganglion supply the ovipositor muscles. Rhythmical ovipositor movements are produced by the severed abdomen of sexually mature female grasshoppers. By comparing this activity to the activity underlying the natural behaviour, it was determined that the isolated abdomen produced the digging portion of the oviposition motor programme. Electrical recordings from the ovipositor nerves in the isolated nervous system showed spontaneous rhythmical bursting activity. This activity corresponds to the neural correlate of digging behaviour and indicates the presence of a central pattern generator for oviposition digging in the terminal abdominal ganglion of females.
蝗科昆虫（蚱蜢和蝗虫）的产卵器附肢由两对铲状瓣膜组成，用于在地下挖掘一个深腔以掩埋卵、操作卵，并协助用泡沫覆盖卵荚。在产卵过程中，瓣膜会进行周期性的打开、关闭、缩回和伸出运动。这些运动由十对肌肉的收缩产生。腹部末端神经节的第八和第九节段神经为产卵器肌肉提供神经支配。性成熟雌性蚱蜢被切断的腹部会产生有节奏的产卵器运动。通过将这种活动与自然行为背后的活动进行比较，确定分离出的腹部产生了产卵运动程序的挖掘部分。在分离的神经系统中对产卵器神经进行的电记录显示出自发的节律性爆发活动。这种活动对应于挖掘行为的神经关联，并表明在雌性腹部末端神经节中存在用于产卵挖掘的中枢模式发生器。
