Locomotory programs in basal leg muscles after limb autotomy in the crustacea

Abstract

This chapter considers walking locomotion from a behavioral context and describes the coordination of leg movements in insects, via a consideration of the muscle activity producing individual leg movements. It also examines the nervous control of the overall system and then of the sensory inputs to the individual legs and their influence on different parts of the leg movement. Various models of walking control are described in the chapter, such as the model of interleg coordination, model based on excitatory coupling, quantitative models by Graham based on inhibitory and excitatory concepts, and Wendler analog model. The chapter broadens the normal horizontal surface context of walking to include the consideration of uphill and downhill walking and to a very limited extent the climbing capabilities of insects, which have probably been of considerable importance in the evolution of the insect walking system.