In:
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), Vol. 18, No. 7 ( 2023-7-10), p. e0284641-
Abstract:
Many animals display innate preferences for some odors, but the physiological mechanisms underlying these preferences are poorly understood. Here, with behavioral tests, we establish a model system well suited to investigating olfactory mechanisms, the locust Schistocerca americana . We conducted open field tests in an arena designed to provide only olfactory cues to guide navigation choices. We found that newly hatched locusts navigated toward, and spent more time near, the odor of wheat grass than humidified air. In similar tests, we found that hatchlings avoided moderate concentrations of major individual components of the food blend odor, 1-hexanol (1% v/v) and hexanal (0.9% v/v) diluted in mineral oil relative to control presentations of unscented mineral oil. Hatchlings were neither attracted nor repelled by a lower concentration (0.1% v/v) of 1-hexanol but were moderately attracted to a low concentration (0.225% v/v) of hexanal. We quantified the behavior of the animals by tracking their positions with the Argos software toolkit. Our results establish that hatchlings have a strong, innate preference for food odor blend, but the valence of the blend’s individual components may be different and may change depending on the concentration. Our results provide a useful entry point for an analysis of physiological mechanisms underlying innate sensory preferences.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1932-6203
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.g001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.g002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.g003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.g004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.g005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.g006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.s001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.s002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.s003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.s004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.r001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.r002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.r003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0284641.r004
Language:
English
Publisher:
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2267670-3
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