DOI: 10.5061/dryad.83bk3jb4k
title: Male glow-worms combine flying with walking and impede one another in their scramble to reach females

description: This dataset consists of 3 sets of infrared videos and the associated
 scripts for analysis. Infrared videography data recorded in a laboratory
 arena (videos of glow-worm males' movements towards a dummy female).
 Infrared videography data recorded in the field (videos of glow-worm males
 landing near a dummy female placed on a trap). Infrared videography data
 recorded in the field (videos of glow-worm males landing near a dummy
 female placed on a wire, i.e., without a trap).
description: # Male glow-worms combine flying with walking and impede one another in
 their scramble to reach females Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.83bk3jb4k](10.5061/dryad.83bk3jb4k) ## Description of the
 data and file structure To determine whether features of the male
 glow-worm approach to glowing females conform to those of scramble
 competition, we adopted an observational approach using infrared
 videography of a dummy female (green LED) at night or in a behavioural
 arena in the lab. **1- Arena videography:** First, we explored the
 movements of individual males during their approach to a dummy female over
 short distances in a laboratory arena. The infrared camera was placed
 above an arena containing a dummy female (green LED). A single male was
 placed on a starting platform and its behaviour was quantified from the
 moment it left the platform to the moment it reached the green LED. We
 collected the type of behaviour (Walk, Flight or Leaps) as well as the
 distance covered by each behaviour and the time it took each male to reach
 the LED. This data was analysed using the R scripts located in the
 corresponding arena analysis folder. **2- Field videography:** Data were
 obtained using an infrared camera placed in the field above a green LED
 (dummy female). Males can be seen landing around the traps. The data
 folder contains 2 subfolders, one for the videos recorded above a green
 LED mounted above a custom made trap, and one for the videos without a
 trap. In the video with the LED mounted on a trap, we quantified several
 aspects of the final stage of males’ approach: (i) the mode of movement
 (walking vs flying); (ii) the time of their landing; (iii) the distance
 from the dummy female at which they landed; and (iv) the number of other
 males present when they landed. We investigated how these parameters
 influenced the time males took to reach the dummy female. Those variables
 are extracted and analysed using the R scripts located in the
 corresponding field videography analysis folder:
 "Field_landing_analysis". In the video with the LED mounted on a
 wire (without a trap), we quantified the distance between males and the
 number and duration of male-male interactions on the ground. We also
 observed the behaviour of males directly on the LED, extracting the time
 each male spent on the LED alone or with other males, and the mode of exit
 from the LED. These data were analysed using the R scripts located in the
 corresponding field videography analysis folder:
 "Field_sensitivity_analysis" ### Files and variables #### File:
 RawData_arena.zip **Description:** This folder contains the videos
 recordings for each individual males tested in the arena #### File:
 RawData_Field_videography.zip **Description:** This folder contains the
 videos recordings obtained in the field, in two subfolders separating data
 with and without a trap. Each day/video folder contains the original long
 video (.h264) and/or a .avi or mp4 conversion of the same video.
 Additionally, the "**Without_trap**" subfolder contains a .tif
 file of 16-20 frames extracted from each video every 2-minutes interval.
 #### File: Arena_analysis.zip **Description:** This folder contains the
 code used to analyse the data collected manually from the arena videos and
 produce the corresponding stats and graphs. In the data folder the file
 "**Arena_analysis_20210803_clean.csv**" contains all data
 extracted from the videos and used in the analysis. Columns names are as
 follows: * Date : Date of the video * gw_nbr : ID of the male in the
 video, number starting with "x" indicate males that did not
 leave the platform and where excluded from the analysis. * Final position
 : Last place males were found in (choices are in order of appearance :
 1-On the LED, 2-Still in Flight, 3-On the platform, 4-On the Base of the
 LED) * Time to reach LED base (in seconds) * Time to climb (to the LED),
 also in seconds * 1st action : the first thing a male did to exit the
 platform (note that jump is the equivalent of "leap", in the
 manuscript, the other categories retained the same name i.e. flight, fall
 and climb down) * Distance of 1st action (in centimetre) : how far the
 male went with the first action described in the previous column. * Time
 of 1st action (seconds): how long the first action lasted * 2/3/4th action
 : when applicable, the following actions made by males on their way to the
 LED * Distance of 2/3/4th action (in centimetre) * Time of 2/3/4th action
 (seconds) * behaviour from base to LED : observations made on how males
 tackled the final climb to the LED after reaching it's base. *
 comments : any additional observations * Protocol : the specific setting
 of the arena in the video #### File: Field_landing_analysis.zip
 **Description:** This folder contains the code used to analyse the data
 collected manually from the field videos with a trap. Analysis is split in
 2 scripts looking at the i) landing distances and approach strategy, and
 ii) the time to reach the LED depending on landing time, distance and the
 number of neighbours. Within the "**Data**" folder, structure is
 as follows: ``` Field_landing_analysis/Data/ ├── Individual_counts │   └──
 Count │   └── XY ``` * "**Count**" contains a single
 "**_count.csv**" file for each video with the following columns:
 * ROI point nbr = the reference of the Region of Interest marked on the
 video, allow for cross referencing with the ROI in the corresponding XY
 coordinates files. * Description of Behaviour: brief description of males
 behaviour on their way to the LED. Behaviour are described using the
 following abbreviations : * WF = walk and fly * CB = climb down * GONE =
 left the field of view * WI = Walked into the field of view (rather than
 landed) * W = Walk * F = Flight * FI = Flew in the trap * TT = landed on
 Top of Trap * Male ID = ID of the individual glow-worm observed at the ROI
 location, males can appear multiple times if they performed multiple
 actions before entering the trap or exiting the field of view. * Landing
 location: within each of the marked circle (C1 = &lt;10cm, C2=10-20cm,
 C3=&gt;20cm) or on top of the trap (TT) or directly in the trap (IN) *
 Initial landing location: Same as previous but limited to the first male
 landing (and not any subsequent landing). * "**XY**" contains
 two .csv files for each video : * "**_XY_coord.csv**" files
 contain the **X** and **Y** coordinates in pixels for each male action
 described in the previously described "count.csv" files.
 Additional columns are : * Slice = the frame number at which the ROI is
 located * Behaviour to trap = Overall strategy to the trap (no = did not
 reach the trap, WO = walking only, WF = combining Walk and flight, F =
 Flight only) * "**_LED.csv**" contains the location of the LED
 in pixels Additionally, a summary file called
 "**2024_GW_landing_videos_data_summary.csv**" summarises the
 counts of males observed in and around the trap, their landing location
 and their behaviour to the LED. Column names follow the previously
 described abbreviations. #### File: Field_sensitivity_analysis.zip
 **Description:** This folder contains the code used to analyse the data
 collected manually from the field videos without trap. Analysis is split
 in 3 scripts looking at the i) males on the ground, ii) males reaching the
 LED, ii) males on the LED. Within the "**Data**" folder, we have
 a subfolder and 3 .csv files : ``` Field_sensitivity_analysis/Data/ ├──
 Sampled_coordinates ├── 2025_field_videography_direct_contacts.csv ├──
 2025_field_videography_males_on_LED.csv ├──
 2025_field_videography_sampled_male_counts.csv ``` *
 "**Sampled_coordinates**" contains a .csv file for each video
 describing males location in the 16 sample frames extracted for analysis.
 Columns are as follows: * Type = Descriptor of male location, 1 = On the
 LED, 2 = On the wire, 3 = On the cloth * Slice = Frame number * X, Y =
 coordinates in pixels * X(cm), Y(cm) = coordinates in centimetre -
 "**2025_field_videography_direct_contacts.csv**" summarises the
 direct interactions between males in each video. Columns are as follows: *
 Video_date, video_ID = date and ID of the analysed video *
 interaction_start, interaction_end = frame number at the start and end of
 the interaction * nbr of males involved = count of males participating in
 the interaction * interaction_length_sec = duration of the interaction in
 seconds * N_total_landing = number of males observed in total -
 "**2025_field_videography_males_on_LED.csv**" describes all
 males behaviour on the LED. Columns are as follows: * Video_date, video_ID
 = date and ID of the analysed video * video_duration = total length in
 seconds * male_count = number of males observed in total * male_at_LED =
 ID of male on the LED in that time frame * on_LED_start = frame number
 when the male touched the LED * on_LED_end = frame number when the male
 exited the LED * time_on_LED = in seconds, total time spent by the male on
 the LED * males_on_LED_ID = ID of all males present on the LED during this
 time frame * exit_type = mode of exit from the LED, when several males
 were present, includes male ID * exit_code = standardised mode of exit *
 exit_group_id = ID given to the male or group of males who exited the LED
 simultaneously * size_of_exit_group = number of males who exited
 simultaneously -
 "**2025_field_videography_sampled_male_counts.csv**". For each
 video, once 16-19 random frames are extracted, the number of males present
 on the LED, on the Wire, or on the cloth were summarised here. Columns are
 as follows: - Video_date, video_ID = date and ID of the analysed video -
 video_duration = total length in seconds - whole_video_male_count = number
 of males observed in total - Slice = random frame number - On_LED,
 On_wire, On_cloth = count of males at each location - Actual_slice = Frame
 number to cross-reference with original video frames. ## Code/software All
 statistical analyses were conducted in R 4.3.2 (R Core Team, 2023). The
 packages used are listed at the top of each script.