TY - GEN
T1 - Navigation to forest fires by smoke and infrared reception
T2 - 63rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Navigation 2007
AU - Schmitz, Helmut
AU - Schmitz, Anke
AU - Kreiss, Eva
AU - Gebhardt, Michael
AU - Gronenberg, Wulfila
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - "Fire-loving" (pyrophilous) beetles depend on forest fires for their reproduction. Such insects approach ongoing fires and invade the burnt area immediately. Two genera of pyrophilous jewel beetles (Buprestidae) and one species of the genus Acanthocnemus (Acanthocnemidae) show a highly pyrophilous behaviour. For the long-range navigation towards a fire as well as for the short-range orientation on a freshly burnt area these beetles have special sensors for smoke and infrared (IR) radiation. Whereas the olfactory receptors for smoke are located on the antennae, the IR receptors are housed in extraantennal sensory organs which can be found on the thorax or on the abdomen. In the best-studied beetle, Melanophila acuminata, infrared receptors and their associated sensory neurons are derived from mechanoreceptors. Unlike other mechanosensory neurons, IR sensitive neurons directly send their information to be processed centrally (e.g. by the brain) rather than locally in their respective ganglia of origin. It is suggested that smoke - derived odours and IR information converge on descending brain neurons which, in turn, control and direct flight toward the forest fire.
AB - "Fire-loving" (pyrophilous) beetles depend on forest fires for their reproduction. Such insects approach ongoing fires and invade the burnt area immediately. Two genera of pyrophilous jewel beetles (Buprestidae) and one species of the genus Acanthocnemus (Acanthocnemidae) show a highly pyrophilous behaviour. For the long-range navigation towards a fire as well as for the short-range orientation on a freshly burnt area these beetles have special sensors for smoke and infrared (IR) radiation. Whereas the olfactory receptors for smoke are located on the antennae, the IR receptors are housed in extraantennal sensory organs which can be found on the thorax or on the abdomen. In the best-studied beetle, Melanophila acuminata, infrared receptors and their associated sensory neurons are derived from mechanoreceptors. Unlike other mechanosensory neurons, IR sensitive neurons directly send their information to be processed centrally (e.g. by the brain) rather than locally in their respective ganglia of origin. It is suggested that smoke - derived odours and IR information converge on descending brain neurons which, in turn, control and direct flight toward the forest fire.
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:34547978435
SN - 1604232862
SN - 9781604232868
T3 - Proceedings of the Annual Meeting - Institute of Navigation
SP - 121
EP - 129
BT - 63rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Navigation 2007
Y2 - 23 April 2007 through 25 April 2007
ER -