Fig. 1.

The mesothoracic–abdominal preparation with all leg motor innervation severed. A, Schematic illustration of the dissected mesothoracic and metathoracic nerves on one side, viewed from above. The only intact nerve branches were several thin, anterior sensory branches of metathoracic nerve 3B, which provide mechanosensory innervation of the hindleg coxa, and the thick, lateral branch of metathoracic nerve 6, which provides mechanosensory (and auditory) innervation of the ear. B, Sensory responses of nerve branches innervating the hindleg coxa and ear. In each case, the nerve branch was severed, and the distal part was recorded with a suction electrode. Each nerve burst corresponds to one discrete stroke of the fire-polished tip of a glass micropipette (5 strokes in1; 6 strokes in 2; 5 strokes in3). 1, Metathoracic nerve 3B recording; the ventral hindleg coxa was stimulated. 2, Metathoracic nerve 5A recording; the ventral hindleg coxa was stimulated.3, Metathoracic nerve 6 recording; the ear was stimulated. The recording in 3 was performed in a fifth instar animal in which nerve 6 showed no response to sound.