Muscular Activity During Preparation For Flight in A Beetle

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Abstract
1. The sound produced during the pre-flight activity of the water beetle Acilius sulcatus (L.) consists of a train of pulses, implying that there is a click mechanism present in the thorax when the wings are folded. The pulse frequency rises as the temperature rises. 2. Analysis of the sound oscillograms reveals some differences from the analogous system in cicadas which can be correlated with differences in anatomy. 3. The sinusoidal (inertial) and pulsed modes of operation of insect fibrillar muscle are alternative ways in which oscillatory activity can be generated. They result from a single property of this type of muscle and occur when it is coupled, respectively, to an inertial or to a clicking load.

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