We tested whether there is functional recovery of the flight system in adult male locusts following ablation of the hindwing tegulae. We also ablated only the forewing tegulae, a treatment that changes the motor pattern only slightly, which we expected to have little effect on flight ability. Some locusts were able to fly unrestrained either immediately after or following recovery from ablation of either the hindwing or the forewing tegulae. Nevertheless, there was an overall deficit in free-flight ability when 3-4 weeks were allowed for recovery. This is inconsistent with studies which have demonstrated complete recovery of the motor pattern for flight following ablation of the hindwing tegulae. We also found that flight ability was impaired in locusts that were recovering from ablation of the fore- wing tegulae. This is surprising as there is no known acute effect of ablating the forewing tegulae on the flight motor pattern. We suggest that the discrepancy between the apparent recovery seen in the motor pattern and that seen in free-flight ability is due to the generation of an altered flight motor pattern during tethered flight. This motor pattern probably reflects some low motivational state and is the same in intact and recovered locusts. Consistent with this idea was our observation that the average mean lift generated was less than sufficient to support the weight, and was the same in intact and recovered locusts.
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