Summary
The strengths of the rotational and possible translational optomotor reflexes were measured over a wide range of closed-loop conditions in walking ladybirds (Coccinella septempunctata), and less thoroughly in three other species of insect. While ladybirds exhibit a strong rotational optomotor reflex, any visual control of speed there might be was found to be too feeble to be biologically significant. To see whether walking speed is instead controlled proprioceptively, changes in speed were measured when ladybirds pulled small weights. But there was no evidence of proprioceptive control either. Flying and swimming insects, on the other hand, do use visual feedback to control their translational velocity, and, unlike walking insects,must do so to cope with winds or watercurrents.
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Zanker, J.M., Collett, T.S. The optomotor system on the ground: on the absence of visual control of speed in walking ladybirds. J. Comp. Physiol. 156, 395–402 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00610732
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00610732