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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.11.22.624955

Six-legged-bound: a newly-described insect gait

Amir, A.·Yuval, O.·Ayali, A.
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Abstract

Locomotor behavior is a hallmark of animal biology and ecology. Mole crickets constitute a unique group of subterranean insects that present an exceptional model for locomotion-related research. In response to an aversive stimulus from the front, the mole cricket will consistently adopt a unique backwards gait that we have termed backward-bound. This never before reported six-legged gait comprises a cyclic alternation between the middle and hind-leg pairs with left-right in-phase synchronization, while the front legs display noisy and less consistent phase dynamics. This exceptional gait is transient and is usually expressed for up to a dozen cycles. It is employed to distance the animal quickly away from danger. A gait that can be characterized as "forward-bound" is also displayed by the mole cricket, albeit for a much shorter duration (up to two cycles).

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Amir, A., Yuval, O., Ayali, A.. 2024-11-23. Six-legged-bound: a newly-described insect gait. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.22.624955

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