Proprioceptive contribution to distance estimation by motion parallax in a praying mantid.

The behavioural experiments described here examined, in the praying mantis Tenodera sinensis, the manner in which the proprioceptive cervical hair plate sensilla are involved in the measurement of the distance to a jump target with the aid of motion parallax actively produced by translatory head motion. Various combinations of surgical deafferentation of the cervical hair plate sensilla had no influence on the linearisation of head motion. However, the measurement of relative and absolute distance and the jump frequency were impaired by these interventions. From the results, it is concluded that the cervical hair plate sensilla are involved in the distance measurement mechanism, probably by allowing the nervous system to compare retinal image motion with head motion.