Innate turning preference of leaf-cutting ants in the absence of external orientation cues

Endlein, Thomas; Sitti, Metin

doi:10.1242/jeb.177006

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…To reproduce the innate attraction to a simple cue, widely observed in insects [ 46 , 47 ], we created a reward signal provided by the visual processing used in this paper. The aim is to have reinforcement of the signal from the frontal ommatidias (i.e.…”

Section: Methods and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A unified mechanism for innate and learned visual landmark guidance in the insect central complex

et al. 2021

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Insects can navigate efficiently in both novel and familiar environments, and this requires flexiblity in how they are guided by sensory cues. A prominent landmark, for example, can elicit strong innate behaviours (attraction or menotaxis) but can also be used, after learning, as a specific directional cue as part of a navigation memory. However, the mechanisms that allow both pathways to co-exist, interact or override each other are largely unknown. Here we propose a model for the behavioural integration of innate and learned guidance based on the neuroanatomy of the central complex (CX), adapted to control landmark guided behaviours. We consider a reward signal provided either by an innate attraction to landmarks or a long-term visual memory in the mushroom bodies (MB) that modulates the formation of a local vector memory in the CX. Using an operant strategy for a simulated agent exploring a simple world containing a single visual cue, we show how the generated short-term memory can support both innate and learned steering behaviour. In addition, we show how this architecture is consistent with the observed effects of unilateral MB lesions in ants that cause a reversion to innate behaviour. We suggest the formation of a directional memory in the CX can be interpreted as transforming rewarding (positive or negative) sensory signals into a mapping of the environment that describes the geometrical attractiveness (or repulsion). We discuss how this scheme might represent an ideal way to combine multisensory information gathered during the exploration of an environment and support optimal cue integration.

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Section: Methods and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A unified mechanism for innate and learned visual landmark guidance in the insect central complex

et al. 2021

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“…Ants (Lasius niger) show a rightward turning bias on their foraging trails (Heuts and Brunt, 2005), whereas rock ants (Temnothorax albipennis) display a left turning bias when searching for nest spaces in a branching maze (Hunt et al, 2014). Leaf-cutting ants (Acromyrmex lundii) have a similar leftward turning preference when tested in a Y-maze (Endlein and Sitti, 2018), and so do giant water bugs (Belstoma flumineum) tested in a T-maze (Kight et al, 2008). Overall, the studies conducted in invertebrate animals suggest that even organisms with smaller brains benefit from the different, and often complementary, functional specialisation of the left and right side of the nervous system.…”

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confidence: 99%

Visuo-motor biases in buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

Waite

Frasnelli

2020

Laterality

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Bees provide a good model to investigate the evolution of lateralization. So far, most studies focused on olfactory learning and memories in tethered bees. This study investigated possible behavioural biases in free-flying buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) by analysing their turning decisions in a T-maze. Bees of various size were trained to associate a syrup reward with a blue target placed at the centre of the T-maze.The bees were then tested over 16 trials by presenting them with blue targets at the end of the maze's arms. The maze was rotated 180 after the first 8 trials to control for environmental factors. The number of turnings to the left and right arms were analysed.The bees sampled exhibited a population-level rightward turning bias. As bumblebees vary significantly in size with large bees being better learners than smaller ones, we measured the thorax width to identify a possible relationship between size and bias. No significant correlation was identified. This study shows that bees present lateralization in a visuo-motor task that mimics their foraging behaviour, indicating a possible specialisation of the right side of the nervous system in routine tasks.

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“…To reproduce the innate attraction to a simple cue, widely observed in insects [43; 44], we created a reward signal provided by the visual processing used in this paper. The aim is to have reinforcement of the signal from the frontal ommatidias (i.e.…”

Section: Methods and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A unified mechanism for innate and learned visual landmark guidance in the insect central complex

Goulard

Buehlmann

Graham

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Insects can navigate efficiently in both novel and familiar environments, and this requires flexiblity in how they are guided by sensory cues. A prominent landmark, for example, can ellicit strong innate behaviours (attraction or menotaxis) but can also be used through learning as a specific directional cue to sustain navigation memory. However, the mechanisms that allow both pathways to co-exist, interact or override each other are largely unknown. Here we propose a model for behavioural integration based on the neuroanatomy of the central complex (CX) and adapted to control landmark guided behaviours. We consider a reward signal provided either by an innate attraction to landmarks or a long-term visual memory that modulates the formation of a local vector memory in the CX. Using an operant strategy for a simulated agent exploring a simple arena world with a single cue, we show how the short-term memory generated can support both innate and learned steering behaviour. In addition, we show how this architecture is consistent with observed effects of unilateral mushroom bodies (MB) lesions in ants that cause a reversion to innate behaviour. We suggest the formation of a directional memory in the CX can be interpreted as transforming rewarding (positive or negative) sensory signals into a geometrical attractiveness (or repulsion) mapping of the environment. We discuss how this scheme might represent an ideal way to combine multisensory information gathered during the exploration of an environment and support optimized cue integration.

show abstract

Innate turning preference of leaf-cutting ants in the absence of external orientation cues

Cited by 10 publications

References 64 publications

A unified mechanism for innate and learned visual landmark guidance in the insect central complex

A unified mechanism for innate and learned visual landmark guidance in the insect central complex

Visuo-motor biases in buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

A unified mechanism for innate and learned visual landmark guidance in the insect central complex

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