Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Drosophila learning mutants, such as dunce and couch potato , are provid-
ing insights into the fundamental processes involved in short-term, intermedi-
ate, long-term, and anesthetic-resistant learning in insects and other organisms.
Analysis of sleep behaviors in D. melanogaster may offer clues to sleep in
humans ( Shaw and Franken 2003 ). The discovery of “personalities” of diverse
insects changes our interpretations of insect behavior. Analyses of behaviors
that are determined by many genes are being revolutionized by the use of
molecular-genetic methods and whole-genome sequencing projects. It now is
possible to map the number and location of genes or single nucleotide poly-
morphisms (SNPs) affecting complex traits by correlating their inheritance with a
variety of DNA markers and by conducting microarray analyses.
11.2 Introduction
Insect behavior covers a very wide range of activities, including locomotion,
grooming, feeding, communication, reproduction, dispersal, flight, learn-
ing, migration, host or prey selection, diapause, and various responses to
environmental hazards such as temperature, humidity, parasites, and toxins
( Dingle 1978, Beck 1980, Dingle and Hegmann 1982, Alcock 1984, Tauber et al.
1986, Gatehouse 1989, 1997, Sokolowski 2001, Bazzett 2008, Ikeno et al. 2011 ).
Understanding the behavior of pest and beneficial insects could allow improved
pest-management programs ( Foster and Harris 1997, Renou and Guerrero 2000,
Bendena 2010 ).
One definition of behavior is any action that an individual carries out
in response to a stimulus or its environment, especially an action that can be
observed and described. However, insects also behave spontaneously, in the
absence of any obvious stimulus. Thus, behavior includes studies to understand
how an insect takes in information from its environment, processes that infor-
mation, and acts. Processing information in the central nervous system may
involve integrating information over time, including stimuli such as hormones
coming from within the insect. Thus, the connection between stimulus and
response can be delayed and indirect.
The genetic analysis of behavior rightfully has been perceived to be more
complex than the analysis of morphological or anatomical traits ( Baker et  al.
2001, Sokolowski 2001, Vanin et  al. 2012 ). One of the complications in genetic
analyses of behavior is the difficulty in defining the behavior in a clear manner.
Often “a behavior” may consist of multiple components, which can lead to
confusion regarding the number of genes involved. Distinguishing between
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