Identification of chemosensory sensilla activating antennular grooming behavior in the Caribbean spiny lobster,Panulirus argus

Crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters clean or 'groom' their olfactory organ, the antennule, by wiping it through a pair of mouthpart appendages, the third maxillipeds. In the lobster, only a few chemicals found in prey extracts, especially glutamate, elicit grooming. Chemosensory input driving grooming is likely to be mediated via sensilla located on antennules and third maxillipeds. Chemosensory antennular sensilla are innervated by neurons with central projections either to the glomerular olfactory lobe (aesthetasc sensilla) or to non-glomerular antennular neuropils (nonaesthetasc sensilla). By selectively ablating the chemosensory sensilla on the antennules and the third maxillipeds we have determined that the aesthetascs are necessary and sufficient to drive grooming behavior. Chemosensory activation of antennular grooming behavior likely follows a 'labeled-line' model in that aesthetasc neurons tuned to glutamate provide adequate input via the olfactory lobe to motor centers in the brain controlling antennular movements.