Supraesophageal ganglion

Further information: Arthropod head problem

The supraesophageal ganglion (also supraoesophageal ganglion, arthropod brain, or microbrain) generally consists of a set of three fused pairs of ganglia, which constitute the brain in most insect species and in some other closely related arthropods, such as myriapods and crustaceans. It receives and processes information from the first, second, and third metameres. The supraesophageal ganglion lies dorsal to the esophagus and consists of three parts, each a pair of ganglia that may be more or less pronounced, reduced, or fused depending on the genus:

File:LocustBrain.png

Locust brain

• The protocerebrum, associated with the eyes (compound eyes and ocelli). Directly associated with the eyes is the optic lobe, as the visual center of the brain.
• The deutocerebrum processes sensory information from the antennae. It consists of two parts, the antennal lobe and the dorsal lobe. The dorsal lobe also contains motor neurons which control the antennal muscles.
• The tritocerebrum integrates sensory inputs from the previous two pairs of ganglia. The lobes of the tritocerebrum split to circumvent the esophagus and begin the subesophageal ganglion.

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Supraesophageal ganglion (5), Subesophageal ganglion (31)

The subesophageal ganglion continues the nervous system and lies ventral to the esophagus. Finally, the segmental ganglia of the ventral nerve cord are found in each body segment as a fused ganglion; they provide the segments with some autonomous control.

See also

• Lateral horn of insect brain
• Mushroom bodies
• Virtual Fly Brain
• Drosophila connectome

Further reading

• Chaudonneret, J. "Evolution of the insect brain with special reference to the so-called tritocerebrum." Arthropod brain. Wiley, New York (1987): 3-26.