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Angular acceleration, compensatory head movements and the halteres of flies (Lucilia serricata)

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Summary

Tethered flies were subjected to accelerations about their vertical axes while flying or walking. These accelerations were applied either suddenly to stationary animals or continuously by oscillating the animal from side to side. Head and wing movements resulting from the imposed angular accelerations were photographed with a camera and a stroboscopic flash.

Analysis of the photographs shows that the wing movements act to counter the imposed angular accelerations and that during sinusoidal oscillations about the vertical axis, head turns are in antiphase with angular acceleration.

Head turns do not occur when the halteres are absent or present and not oscillating. When oscillating, the halteres detect high values of angular acceleration, outside the known capabilities of the visual movement detection system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    David C. Sandeman

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  1. David C. Sandeman
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Sandeman, D.C. Angular acceleration, compensatory head movements and the halteres of flies (Lucilia serricata). J. Comp. Physiol. 136, 361–367 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00657358

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00657358

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