A cockroach will respond to a tactile or wind stimulus directed at the body by rapidly turning away from the stimulus and running. The escape response due to air currents on the anal cerci is well studied. The sensory cells, central nervous system component, and motor response during running has also been investigated. The sensation and response of the cockroach up to the time where running begins is the current focus. Typically, the first response is to turn.
Sensory hairs respond to air coming from a particular direction.
Turning involves a specific shift in the positions of the legs informed by the sensory hairs to prepare to launch. After the course is set, running starts. These results indicate that the GI 's direct the appropriate escape direction. Two types of escape behavior are elicited depending upon which GI' s are excited. As the turning behavior suggests, different sensory signals converge on the same motoneurons.