The response of interneurons in the spider CNS (Cupiennius salei Keyserling) to vibratory courtship signals

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1. We studied the response of plurisegmental interneurons in the suboesophageal ganglionic mass of female spiders (Cupiennius salei) to male vibratory courtship signals. 2. The opisthosomal vibrations (low frequency component) and the pedipalpal percussions (high frequency component) are processed in parallel by interneuron type I and type II, respectively (Figs. 3, 7). 3. Type III, IV and V interneurons represent the macrostructure of the male courtship signals (Figs. 8, 9, 10), i.e. the beginning and the end of a series (type III, V) or the end of the series only (type IV). The macrostructure is known to influence the response probability of the female. The spontaneous bursting activity of a type VI neuron undergoes slow and long lasting changes upon stimulation with natural courtship signals (Fig. 11). 4. Many interneurons responded to natural signals but not to behaviourally effective computer models. This is presumably due to the lack of spectral complexity of the model compared to natural signals. Differences in the natural conspecific and heterospecific signals, however, are represented by the neuronal response (Fig. 3).