Rhythmic signalling and entrainment inVespa orientalis larvae: Characterization of the underlying interactions |
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Authors: | Vered Barenholz-Paniry Jacob S Ishay Zvi Grossman |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel |
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Abstract: | Rhythmic “circa-second” contrations of larvae of the hornetVespa orientalis, believed to serve as hunger signals, were studied. A considerable degree of coordination among individual larvae, both in
frequency and phase of these contractions, has been observed. The oscillations of singly isolated larvae are of short duration,
non-constant, with increasing intervals in between and there is a substantial variability in the patterns shown by different
larvae. In contrast, the association of two or more larvae leads to enhancement of their periodic behaviour and to (partial)
entrainment. Communication among larvae may perhaps be mediated by the sound pulses (“scratching” noises) which are generated
by these contractions. We have subjected individual and grouped larvae to external sound pulses and were able to demonstrate:
(a) enhancement of rhythmic activity; (b) phase resetting; (c) entrainment to an external oscillator within a range of frequencies;
(d) the existence of a subharmonic mode of entrainment. We propose a simple phenomenologic model to account for these larvae
responses. Our model assumes the existence of an “energy” variable which declines with time but is upgraded, in a phase-dependent
way, by external stimuli.
Based in part on work performed by V. Barenholz-Paniry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.Sc. degree from
the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 1986. |
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