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Multisensory control of homing behavior in whip spiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi)

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2018, Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, Biological Sciences.
Navigation in arthropods has been well studied in terrestrial model organisms such as ants, fiddler crabs, and spiders and there is an emerging understanding that arthropods are much more complex in their spatial abilities than once thought, based on their relatively small nervous systems. Whip spiders (Order Amblypygi) are of interest because, unlike most well-studied terrestrial arthropods, they are nocturnal and live in spatially complex habitats. In addition to the dense terrestrial substrate that creates navigational challenges, navigation at night adds seemingly more adverse conditions for goal-oriented spatial behavior. The integration of multimodal sensory information is hypothesized to facilitate navigation under these conditions, where odor cues are apparently crucial. The goal of this project was to establish a rich dataset of spatial movements of amblypygids under controlled laboratory conditions and determine the relative salience of sensory cues in a multimodal, navigational context. This study used an automated video tracker to record the return paths of amblypygids displaced from a shelter in an arena with a spatially heterogeneous array of sensory cues, where light and odor sources were experimentally manipulated. We found that removal of the light or odor cue did not affect their ability to home to a shelter, but in the absence of the light cue return paths were more circuitous and contained more pauses. Surprisingly, removal of the odor source from the arena had no effect on trajectory kinematics. In addition, our analyses revealed general species differences in return paths.
Daniel Wiegmann, PhD (Advisor)
Verner Bingman, PhD (Committee Member)
Paul Moore, PhD (Committee Member)
42 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Casto, P. E. (2018). Multisensory control of homing behavior in whip spiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi) [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu153054045065023

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Casto, Patrick. Multisensory control of homing behavior in whip spiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi). 2018. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu153054045065023.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Casto, Patrick. "Multisensory control of homing behavior in whip spiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi)." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu153054045065023

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)