DLMn activity drives linear changes in wing beat frequency and stroke amplitude. This has a direct impact on the power output of the flight machinery. spiking of the motor neurons maintains calcium tone in the muscle (myoplasmic calcium) so that the muscles are kept in a state to repetitively contract.
more power is produced from higher spike frequency.
the y axis is calcium activity in the DLM muscle at different DLM motor neuron stimulus frequency driven by current injections.
these two plots show a direct correlation of spiking rate, calcium and power output!
references
Hurkey.etal2023
Gordon, S. & Dickinson, M. H. Role of calcium in the regulation of mechanical power in insect flight. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103, 4311–4315 (2006).