A method for quantifying locomotion behavior in Madagascar hissing cockroaches under controlled environmental conditions

Understanding how sensory and neural stimulation shape locomotor behavior requires experimental platforms that allow precise quantification of movement under controlled environmental conditions. In insects, variability in ambient temperature, illumination, and mechanical constraints can strongly modulate locomotor output, complicating the interpretation of stimulus-evoked responses. Here, we describe a methodological platform that enables quantification of locomotion in the Gromphadorhina portentosa while maintaining stable and programmable environmental conditions. The method combines a low-friction spherical treadmill with digitally regulated temperature and illumination control, allowing animals to walk naturally while remaining stationary. Locomotor displacement is captured using orthogonally arranged optical sensors, and environmental variables are continuously monitored and synchronized with behavioral recordings. This method provides an accessible and reproducible approach for studying sensorimotor transformations and neural control of locomotion in Gromphadorhina portentosa under different thermal and light conditions, and is readily adaptable to closed-loop stimulation paradigms and comparative neuroethological studies.