JumpDetector: An automated monitoring equipment for the locomotion of jumping insects.

Abstract

Continuous jumping behavior, a kind of endurance locomotion, plays important roles in insect ecological adaption and survival. However, the methods used for the efficient evaluation of insect jumping behavior remain largely lacking. Here, we developed a locomotion detection system named JumpDetector with automatic trajectory tracking and data analysis to evaluate the jumping of insects. This automated system exhibits more accurate, efficient, and adjustable performance than manual methods. By using this automatic system, we characterized a gradually declining pattern of continuous jumping behavior in 4th‐instar nymphs of the migratory locust. We found that locusts in their gregarious phase outperformed locusts in their solitary phase in the endurance jumping locomotion. Therefore, the JumpDetector could be widely used in jumping behavior and endurance locomotion measurement.