The relevance of leg-movement cues to turn alternation in woodlice ( Porcellio scaber)

Abstract

When woodlice were passively rotated through 90°, rather than making the usual forced active turn, they did not show turn alternation. Also, passive rotation through 90° in the same or opposite direction as a prior forced active turn did not affect the likelihood of subsequent alternation relative to the original turn. When a moving track on one side of a runway caused the legs on the corresponding side of a passing woodlouse to move more rapidly than its other set of legs, it was subsequently more likely to turn to the side on which its legs had been more active. Taken together, these results suggest that cues arising from differential leg movements during a forced turn may be critical to turn alternation.