Use of bilateral information to determine the walking direction during orientation to a pheromone source in the silkmoth Bombyx mori |
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Authors: | Tetsuya Takasaki Shigehiro Namiki and Ryohei Kanzaki |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan;(2) Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan; |
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Abstract: | Odor source localization is an important animal behavior. Male moths locate mates by tracking sex pheromone emitted by conspecific
females. During this type of behavior, males exhibit a combination of upwind surge and zigzagging flight. Similarly, the male
walking moth Bombyx mori responds to transient pheromone exposure with a surge in movement, followed by sustained zigzagging walking. The initial
surge direction is known to be influenced by the pheromone input pattern. Here, we identified the sensory input patterns that
determine the initial walking direction of males. We first quantified the stimulus by measuring electroantennogram values,
which were used as a reference for subsequent tests. We used a brief stimulus pulse to examine the relationship between sensory
stimulus patterns and the turning direction of initial surge. We found that the difference in input timing and intensity between
left and right antennae affected the walking direction, indicating that B. mori integrate bilateral pheromone information during orientation behavior. When we tested pheromone stimulation for longer periods,
turning behavior was suppressed, which was induced by stimulus cessation. This study contributes toward understanding efficient
strategies for odor-source localization that is utilized by walking insects. |
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