{"title":"The relative landmark shift during free movement on a treadmill may enhance visual learning for ant foragers.","authors":"Akihiro Takahara, Tomoko Sakiyama","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01738-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01738-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ants are known for their sophisticated navigational abilities and rely on various cues to locate food sources efficiently. Visual landmarks play a crucial role in guiding foraging behavior. However, the significance of walking ants perceiving the relative motion of a landmark to themselves during learning is still not fully understood. Here, Japanese carpenter ants were observed on a treadmill device where they could walk in place on the treadmill. Two types of conditions were set for the training process: the fixed condition involved a stationary landmark, and the moving condition featured a landmark oscillating at a constant speed from side to side after feeding, which was independent of the movements of the ants. In the Y-maze test, a significantly greater number of ants in the moving training condition associated the landmark with food (82% of the ants) than in the fixed training condition (56% of the ants). Our results thus suggest that perceiving the relative movement of landmarks during the learning process on a treadmill is important for ant foragers.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"403-410"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143736175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Avian navigation: comparing the olfactory navigational \"map\" and the infrasound direction-finding hypotheses to aeronautics.","authors":"Jonathan T Hagstrum","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01748-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-025-01748-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144509500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A plea for academic decency.","authors":"Eric J Warrant","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01745-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01745-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In an internet age when a viral sensationalist story gains far more traction than a nuanced and balanced discussion, we have become used to some politicians, media and web-based influencers bending the truth to create a misguided or distorted narrative that many people unquestioningly believe. This should never happen in science, but even here standards are sadly deteriorating. In my editorial I wish to expose this situation by highlighting the recent disturbing public attack on the scientific integrity of Australian neuroethologist Mandyam Srinivasan, an attack made by scientists outside Srinivasan's field. Srinivasan's integrity was first questioned in a preprint detailing serious allegations of scientific misconduct (that were subsequently shown to be unfounded). This was immediately followed by a concerted press and social media campaign that severely damaged his reputation. The goal of my Editorial is to use these events to encourage our readers to always be cautious in their judgements and to maintain standards of dignity, decency and respect in their treatment of their peers, even if they disagree with them, since this is the way science has always advanced.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144295386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The cold tolerance of the terrestrial slug, Ambigolimax valentianus.","authors":"Lauren T Gill, Hiroko Udaka, Katie E Marshall","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01730-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01730-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Terrestrial molluscs living in temperate and polar environments must contend with cold winter temperatures. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying the survival of terrestrial molluscs in cold environments and the strategies employed by them are poorly understood. Here we investigated the cold tolerance of Ambigolimax valentianus, an invasive, terrestrial slug that has established populations in Japan, Canada, and Europe. To do this, we acclimated A. valentianus to different environmental conditions (differing day lengths and temperatures), then exposed them to sub-zero temperatures and measured overall survival. Then, we measured low molecular weight metabolites using <sup>1</sup>H NMR to see if they play a role in their cold tolerance as they do in other invertebrate species. We found that A. valentianus is not strongly freeze tolerant but does become more cold-hardy after acclimation to shorter day lengths. We also found that no metabolites were strongly upregulated in response to winter conditions despite the change in cold hardiness, and instead saw evidence of metabolic suppression leading up to winter such as formate and L-glutamine being suppressed in winter conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"247-259"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142967355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gary R Ten Eyck, Erin M Regen, Sarah E Ten Eyck, Wayne J Korzan, Cliff H Summers
{"title":"Monoamine neurochemistry, behavior, and microhabitat contribute to male coquí frog modes: silent, territorial, and paternal.","authors":"Gary R Ten Eyck, Erin M Regen, Sarah E Ten Eyck, Wayne J Korzan, Cliff H Summers","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01732-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01732-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Monoaminergic neurotransmitters are essential for a multitude of physiological and behavioral functions including territoriality and parental care. The Puerto Rican coquí frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, possesses an intriguing multi-modal male behavioral organization whereby males can be territorial, paternal, and silent (non-calling). The objective of this study was to quantify central monoamines in the three male modes and integrate this neurochemistry with data from microhabitat shelter selection and male social structure. Males were assessed for monoamines and metabolites using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Results indicated that there are distinct and significant differences among the three male behavioral modes based on male social structure, microhabitat shelter selection, and neurochemistry. Silent males are non-combative, quiescent, occur nocturnally in relatively open locations with sparser vegetation, and are characterized by high levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine in several forebrain nuclei. Territorial males emit vocalizations, are typically surrounded by more vegetation than silent males, may have a silent male within their territory, and are denoted by significantly higher levels of norepinephrine in the preoptic area and ventral hypothalamus and dopamine in the amygdala responsible male territorial behaviors. Paternal males brood and guard developing embryos in secluded nest sites that are surrounded by vegetation, not within territories of residential males, and typically not in close proximity of silent males. Paternal brains have significantly higher levels epinephrine and serotonin in the raphe and reticular nuclei indicating the necessity to regulate metabolic processes and stress during the period of prolong paternal care.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"293-309"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143257169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Is it a bat or a male? A female moth (Syntomeida epilais, Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) adapts its acoustic signals for defense or courtship.","authors":"Frank Coro","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01739-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01739-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Courtship behavior in the polka-dot wasp moth Syntomieda epilais is the most elaborate acoustic communication system known in the Erebidae. Both males and females must emit their acoustic signals for successful mating under natural conditions in the presence of insectivorous echolocating bats. I stimulated ninety-two females S. epilais during their courtship period (between 2:30 and 6:30 am) with playback of conspecific male and female signals and of the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) attack sequence. I recorded the acoustic responses of the tested females. On the third night after eclosion, at the initiation of courtship behavior, females discriminate among these three types of acoustic trains, responding preferentially to conspecific male signals. In contrast, during the first two nights after eclosion, they respond strongly to the bat attack sequence but not to conspecific male signals. I also demonstrate that after mating (six nights after eclosion) female moths stop responding to conspecific male signals, while continuing to respond to the bat attack pulse-train. These, as well as other novel observations suggest that these female moths can modulate their acoustic signals according to the stimulating conditions for defense against bats or courtship, by varying their response thresholds and latencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"357-374"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Path integration and optic flow in flying insects: a review of current evidence.","authors":"Martin Egelhaaf, Jens P Lindemann","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01734-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01734-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Path integration is a key navigation mechanism used by many animals, involving the integration of direction and distance of path segments to form a goal vector that allows an animal to return directly to its starting point. While well established for animals walking on solid ground, evidence for path integration in animals moving without ground contact, such as flying insects, is less clear. The review focuses on flying Hymenoptera, particularly bees, which are extensively studied. Although bees can use flight distance and direction information, evidence for genuine path integration is limited. Accurately assessing distance travelled is a major challenge for flying animals, because it relies on optic flow-the movement of visual patterns across the eye caused by locomotion. Optic flow depends on both the animal's speed and the spatial layout of the environment, making it ambiguous for precise distance measurement. While path integration is crucial for animals like desert ants navigating sparse environments with few navigational cues, we argue that flying Hymenopterans in visually complex environments, rich in objects and textures, rely on additional navigational cues rather than precise path integration. As they become more familiar with an environment, they may iteratively refine unreliable distance estimates derived from optic flow. By combining this refined information with directional cues, they could determine a goal vector and improve their ability to navigate efficiently between key locations. In the case of honeybees, this ability also enables them to communicate these refined goal vectors to other bees through the waggle dance.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"375-401"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12081508/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143574632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marcelo Christian, Michelle Kraft, Paul Wilknitz, Manuela Nowotny, Stefan Schöneich
{"title":"Flupyradifurone, imidacloprid and clothianidin disrupt the auditory processing in the locust CNS.","authors":"Marcelo Christian, Michelle Kraft, Paul Wilknitz, Manuela Nowotny, Stefan Schöneich","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01735-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01735-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since the EU banned classic neonicotinoids like imidacloprid and clothianidin, they may be replaced by more recently marketed insecticides such as flupyradifurone. However, they all operate on the same neuropharmacological principle as selective agonists at the insect's nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Here we investigated the impact of flupyradifurone, imidacloprid and clothianidin on the neuronal processing in the auditory pathway of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. While stepwise increasing the insecticide concentration in the haemolymph, we extracellularly recorded the spike responses of auditory afferents in the tympanal nerve and of auditory interneurons in the neck connectives. All three insecticides showed a very similar dose-dependent suppression of spike responses in the auditory interneurons ascending towards the brain, whereas the spike responses in the sensory neurons of the ears appeared unaffected. Furthermore, by systematic injection experiments we demonstrate that insecticide dosages which already supress the information transfer in the auditory pathway are by far too low to induce the typical poisoning symptoms like trembling, spasms, and paralysis. We discuss how sublethal intoxication with classical neonicotinoids or functionally related insecticides like flupyradifurone may disrupt the postsynaptic balance between excitation and inhibition in the auditory pathway of locusts and other orthopteran insects.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"311-325"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12081486/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143411564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Photoperiodic plasticity of pigment-dispersing factor immunoreactive fibers projecting toward prothoracicotropic hormone neurons in flesh fly Sarcophaga similis larvae.","authors":"Yutaro Ohe, Masaharu Hasebe, Yoshitaka Hamanaka, Shin G Goto, Sakiko Shiga","doi":"10.1007/s00359-024-01729-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-024-01729-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Larvae of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga similis exhibit photoperiodic responses to control pupal diapause. Although the external coincidence model is applicable to S. similis photoperiodism, it remains unknown how the circadian clock system integrates day-length information. To explore the mechanisms, we examined the neural circuitry involving circadian clock lateral neurons (LNs) and prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) neurons. We also examined the photoperiodic effects on LN-fiber patterns in third-instar S. similis larvae. Immunohistochemistry showed that the clock protein PERIOD and the neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) were co-localized in four cells per brain hemisphere, and we named these PDF-LNs of S. similis. Single-cell polymerase chain reaction of backfilled neurons from the ring gland showed that two pairs of pars lateralis neurons with contralateral axons (PL-c neurons) to the ring gland expressed ptth. Double labeling with immunohistochemistry and backfills revealed that PDF-immunoreactive varicose fibers projected close to fibers from PL-c neurons. short neuropeptide f (snpf) receptor and glutamate-gated chloride channel but not pdf receptor were expressed in PL-c neurons. sNPF and L-glutamate but not PDF acutely inhibited the spontaneous firing activity of PL-c neurons. The number of PDF-immunoreactive varicosities of PDF-LNs in the dorsal protocerebrum was significantly higher under short-day than that under long-day conditions in a time-dependent manner. These results suggest that sNPF and/or glutamate signaling to PTTH neurons and PDF-LNs form a potential neural circuity for the photoperiodic control of pupal diapause and that photoperiod modifies the connectivity strength between PDF-LNs and their post- or pre-neurons in the circuitry.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"261-276"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12081506/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142985480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pallabi Kundu, Mariela Oviedo-Diego, Franco Cargnelutti, R Ryan Jones, Erika Garcia, Eileen A Hebets, Douglas D Gaffin
{"title":"Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of elongated solifuge sensilla to mechanical stimuli.","authors":"Pallabi Kundu, Mariela Oviedo-Diego, Franco Cargnelutti, R Ryan Jones, Erika Garcia, Eileen A Hebets, Douglas D Gaffin","doi":"10.1007/s00359-025-01731-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00359-025-01731-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A fundamental understanding of animal sensory systems is crucial for comprehending their interactions with the environment and with other conspecifics. However, knowledge gaps persist, particularly in arachnids like the order Solifugae. While certain solifuge setae and palpal papillae have been studied structurally and electrophysiologically, providing evidence of chemoreception and mechanoreception, the sensilla on their walking legs remain unexplored. Notably, elongated sensilla on the femur and tibia of the 4th walking legs resemble trichobothria in other arachnid orders yet their function remains unknown. Thus, this study investigates whether these sensilla serve a mechanosensory function. Using electrophysiological and behavioral assays on Eremobates pallipes (Eremobatidae), we assessed the response of the elongated 4th leg sensilla to- (i) air particle movement and- (ii) air pressure changes. Air particle movement stimuli were generated using a speaker placed in the near field of the elongated sensilla that emitted low-frequency pure tones (10-1000 Hz). Air pressure stimuli involved forceful blowing on the sensilla. No response to air particle movement was observed, but a mechanosensory response to air pressure stimuli was detected. Electrophysiological data identified a fast-adapting and fast-recovering cell, and behavioral observations revealed a startle response. Our electrophysiology results suggest a mechanosensory role of elongated sensilla on the 4th walking legs of solifuge, indicating that although they are not sensitive enough to detect air particle movement stimuli, they can receive and respond to air pressure stimuli. Our behavioral experiments similarly show that these sensilla are not sensitive enough to detect air particle movement but respond to more forceful mechanosensory stimuli.</p>","PeriodicalId":54862,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Physiology A-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology","volume":" ","pages":"277-292"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12081520/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143257246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}