Visual processing and collective motion-related decision-making in desert locusts.

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Neuroscience
• Ecology

Background:

• Collective animal movement, such as swarming, depends on individual decision-making.
• The visual environment presents challenges for information processing in swarms.
• Understanding sensory-motor integration is key to collective motion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate decision-making processes in desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) during collective motion.
• To explore how locusts handle complex and noisy visual stimuli.
• To determine the neurophysiological basis of visual-based decision-making in swarms.

Main Methods:

• Presenting controlled visual stimuli (random dot kinematograms) to tethered locust nymphs.
• Monitoring locust movement trajectory and walking parameters using a trackball setup.
• Conducting complementary neurophysiological experiments to explore neural responses.

Main Results:

• Locusts exhibit stimulus filtering and discrimination when presented with multiple visual inputs.
• Locusts are sensitive to individual conspecific speed and group movement coherence.
• Stimulus size, relative abundance, and motion direction interactively influence locust responses.

Conclusions:

• Desert locusts possess cognitive abilities for filtering and prioritizing visual information.
• Locusts use specific cues (speed, coherence) to navigate collective motion.
• Locusts serve as a valuable model for studying sensory-motor integration and decision-making in swarms.