A direct comparison of electrophysiological and behavioural taste responses in the blowfly

Behavioural and electrophysiological taste responses in theblowfly (Calliphora vicina) are measured in successive experiments,using the same flies twice. Inter-individual variations in behaviourare at least partly due to differences in the functioning ofthe tarsal taste hairs; flies with low behavioural thresholdvalues have taste hairs firing with higher rates. The percentageof taste hairs responding with spike trains is not important.Behavioural responses are predominantly influenced by the ‘best’firing hair. The most effective of the parameters describingspike trains seems to bef_t, the firing rate after an ‘infinite’length of stimulation time.