Muscle activity during flight in some large Lepidoptera.

1. The names and functions of the main mesothoracic flight muscles in Lepidoptera are reviewed. 2. The wingbeat period in saturniid moths and monarch butterflies is long and variable. The three parameters, wingbeat period, burst length (number of times a motor unit is activated per wingstroke) and stroke amplitude are interdependent and positively correlated. 3. Partial amputation of the wings in saturniids decreases wingbeat period. Cutting the sensory nerves from the wings increases the period. These results indicate that the influence of wing movement on wingbeat period is mediated by receptors near the base of the wing. 4. The central nervous mechanisms which generate motor patterns during flight in Lepidoptera are discussed and compared with those in locusts. It is proposed that both mechanisms can be described by a single model, with minor differences in the mechanism of burst production.

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