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First published online June 27, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 2317-2326 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.016006

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Effects of altering flow and odor information on plume tracking behavior in walking cockroaches, Periplaneta americana (L.)

Mark A. Willis^*, Jennifer L. Avondet and Andrew S. Finnell

Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA

View larger version (20K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Examples of the range of variability in walking tracks of P. americana males tracking responses to (Ai–iii) continuous windborne plumes of female pheromone, (Bi–iii) loss of directional wind while tracking a plume, and (Ci–iii) loss of the pheromone plume while tracking it in wind in Series 1 experiments. The first panel (i) shows a response with the fewest turns, the second panel (ii) an example of a typical number of turns, and the last panel (iii) the responses with the largest number of turns. Continuous lines represent tracking while wind and pheromone were both present. Dotted lines represent behavior after the loss of wind or pheromone. Black circle at right side of plots represents the point of release of the cockroaches. Note that the first position was digitized when we could clearly resolve the cockroach and its walking path. When present, wind direction was from left to right and the pheromone source was on the left-hand edge of the arena (the arena is depicted by the black boxes in which the tracks are plotted).

View larger version (85K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Full range of variation in the responses of P. americana males as they tracked a pheromone plume in zero wind after being pre-exposed to (A) wind + pheromone, (B) no wind + no pheromone and (C) wind only in the Series 2 experiments. Controls tracked plumes while being exposed to wind and pheromone continuously (D). Black circle in center of plots represents the point of release of the cockroaches. Cockroach tracks on each experimental day are denoted by a different color. Wind direction was from left to right prior to cessation, and the pheromone source was on the left-hand edge of the arena (the arena is depicted by the black boxes in which the tracks are plotted). Mean tracking times (and s.d.) are given.

View larger version (26K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Orientation of the walking track as P. americana males left the release point to track a pheromone plume in zero wind after being pre-exposed to (A) wind + pheromone, (B) no wind + no pheromone, (C) wind only and (D) continuous wind and pheromone from the Series 2 experiments. Controls tracked plumes while being exposed to wind and pheromone continuously (D). On these circular plots due upwind=0° and downwind=180°. , angle of mean leaving direction; r, length of mean vector. r is distributed between 0 and 1, with 0 indicating no movement in the mean direction, and 1 indicating all movements were in the mean direction.

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