DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gj706
title: Data from: Flying Drosophila maintain arbitrary but stable headings relative to the angle of polarized light

description: Animals must use external cues to maintain a straight course over long
 distances. In this study, we investigated how the fruit fly, Drosophila
 melanogaster, selects and maintains a flight heading relative to the axis
 of linearly polarized light, a visual cue produced by the atmospheric
 scattering of sunlight. To track flies' headings over extended
 periods, we used a flight simulator that coupled the angular velocity of
 dorsally presented polarized light to the stroke amplitude difference of
 the animal's wings. In the simulator, most flies actively maintained
 a stable heading relative to the axis of polarized light for the duration
 of 15 minute flights. We found that individuals selected arbitrary,
 unpredictable headings relative to the polarization axis, which
 demonstrates that Drosophila can perform proportional navigation using a
 polarized light pattern. When flies flew in two consecutive bouts
 separated by a 5 minute gap, the two flight headings were correlated,
 suggesting individuals retain a memory of their chosen heading. We found
 that adding a polarized light pattern to a light intensity gradient
 enhanced flies' orientation ability, suggesting Drosophila use a
 combination of cues to navigate. For both polarized light and intensity
 cues, flies' capacity to maintain a stable heading gradually
 increased over several minutes from the onset of flight. Our findings are
 consistent with a model in which each individual initially orients
 haphazardly but then settles on a heading which is maintained via a
 self-reinforcing process. This may be a general dispersal strategy for
 animals with no target destination.
description: Open loop - Light
 offFlight experiments with
 open loop period (light off), prior to closed-loop flight. (Fig.
 7)open_loop_light_off_0.csvOpen Loop - Light OnFlight experiments with open loop period (light on) prior to closed-loop flight. (Fig. 7)open_loop_light_on_0.csvPerturbed Paired (1/2)First of 2 data files with data from perturbed, paired flight experiments. (Fig. 3)perturbed_paired_0.csvPerturbed Paired (2/2)Second of 2 data files with perturbed, paired flight experiments. (Fig. 3)perturbed_paired_1.csvUnperturbed, paired (1/3)First of 3 data files from unperturbed, paired experiments. (Fig. 3)unperturbed_paired_0.csvUnperturbed, paired (2/3)Second of 3 data files from unperturbed, paired flight experiments. (Fig. 3)unperturbed_paired_1.csvUnperturbed, paired (3/3)Third of 3 data files with unperturbed, paired flight experiments. (Fig. 3)unperturbed_paired_2.csvCircular PolarizerFlight data with circular polarizer, control stimulus.circular_polarizer_0.csvLinear Polarizer, 365 nmFlight data from experiments with linear polarizer, 365 nm ) wavelength (UV) light source.linear_polarizer_365nm_0.csvLinear Polarizer, 470nm (1/3)First of 3 files with flight data with linear polarizer, 470 nm wavelength light source (blue light).linear_polarizer_470nm_0.csvLinear polarizer (470nm) 2/3Second of 3 files with flight data with linear polarizer, 470 nm wavelength light source (blue light).linear_polarizer_470nm_1.csvLinear Polarizer, 470 nm (3/3)Third of 3 files with flight data with linear polarizer, 470 nm wavelength light source (blue light).linear_polarizer_470nm_2.csvIntensity and Linear PolarizerData from experiments with combined intensity gradient and linear polarizer.intensity_linear_polarizer_0.csvIntensity and Circular PolarizerData from experiments with combined intensity gradient and circular polarizer.intensity_circular_polarizer_0.csvData Description (README)Description of contents and formatting of data files