DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq85s
title: Characterizing long-range search behavior in Diptera using complex 3D virtual environments

description: The exemplary search capabilities of flying insects have established them
 as one of the most diverse taxa on Earth. However, we still lack the
 fundamental ability to quantify, represent, and predict trajectories under
 natural contexts to understand search and its applications. For example,
 flying insects have evolved in complex multimodal 3D environments, but we
 do not yet understand which features of the natural world are used to
 locate distant objects. Here, we independently and dynamically manipulate
 3D objects, airflow fields, and odor plumes in virtual reality over large
 spatial and temporal scales. We demonstrate that that flies make use of
 features such as foreground segmentation, perspective, motion parallax,
 and integration of multiple modalities to navigate to objects in a complex
 3D landscape while in flight. We first show that tethered flying insects
 of multiple species navigate to virtual 3D objects. Using the apple fly,
 Rhagoletis pomonella, we then measure their reactive distance to objects
 and show that these flies use perspective and local parallax cues to
 distinguish and navigate to virtual objects of different sizes and
 distances. We also show that apple flies can orient in the absence of
 optic flow by using only directional airflow cues, and require
 simultaneous odor and directional airflow input for plume following to a
 host volatile blend. The elucidation of these features unlocks the
 opportunity to quantify parameters underlying insect behavior such as
 reactive space, optimal foraging, and dispersal, as well as develop
 strategies for pest management, pollination, robotics and search
 algorithms.
description: We assessed critical parameters of long range search including
 motion parallax, perspective, reactive distance, anemotaxis, and plume
 following using a multimodal virtual reality arena (MultiMoVR). To this
 end, we provided photorealistic scenes and perspective-accurate stimuli of
 3D tree models along with grass and sky textures in a 1025 m x 1025 m
 landscape, including directional airflow and odor. This landscape was
 presented in a periodic boundary condition such that as the animal
 approaches the end of the virtual landscape, it is seamlessly teleported
 to the opposite side, so the animal can essentially translate infinitely
 in any direction. Using this arena, we show that <i>R.
 pomonella</i> can approach and discriminate virtual objects of
 varying sizes and distances in a complex 3D environment, respond to
 directional airflow based on velocity, and orient to directional odor flux
 in VR. We also show that multiple Dipteran species, including a North
 American pest (<i>R. pomonella</i>), a tropical vector
 (<i>Aedes aegypti</i>), an Asian species
 (<i>Pselliophora laeta</i>) and a cosmopolitan pollinator
 (<i>Eristalis tenax</i>) can navigate towards virtual objects
 at distances found in nature using this system.
description: <strong>INCLUDED FILES:</strong>
 <strong>ARENA FILES:</strong>
 MultiMoVR Setup.zip:  Design files and software installation
 guide for MultiMoVR setup. <strong>DATA
 FILES:</strong> 
 FILE NAME FILE DESCRIPTION mos_vision.h5 Mosquito to tree hover_vision.h5 Hover fly to flower crane_vision.h5 Crane fly to tree apple_wind.h5 Apple fly to wind  apple_odor.h5 Apple fly to odor apple_motionParallax.h5 Apple fly to motion parallax trees apple_vision.h5 Apple fly to tree <b>DESCRIPTION OF COLUMNS FOR EACH DATA FILE:</b> COLUMN NAME COLUMN DESCRIPTION trajectory__DCoffset The DC offset to adjust for side bias in tethering and alignment trajectory__boutFrame Frame number of a given trial trajectory__case The condition of the trial. No tree, tree of left, tree on right, tree on both sides trajectory__gain The gain, in rad/deg/frame. Multiple by 2.89 to get it in conventional units (deg/deg/s) trajectory__headingControl True when in closed loop for heading trajectory__o1Pos_x Object1 pos x trajectory__o1Pos_y Object1 pos y trajectory__o1Pos_z Object1 pos z trajectory__o2Pos_x Object2 pos x trajectory__o2Pos_y Object2 pos y trajectory__o2Pos_z Object2 pos z trajectory__pOri_x Insect heading trajectory__pOri_y Insect pitch trajectory__pOri_z Insect roll trajectory__pPos_x Insect pos x trajectory__pPos_y Insect pos y trajectory__pPos_z Insect pos z trajectory__pfStimState State of odor valve trajectory__reset True when change of trial trajectory__runNum Run number for an entire set of all case trials trajectory__speed Insect speed trajectory__speedControl True when in closed loop for speed control trajectory__valve1 Valve1 odor bottle trajectory__valve2 Valve2 odor bottle trajectory__valve3 Valve3 odor bottle trajectory__wbad Wing Beat Amplitude Difference, L-R, in radians trajectory__wbas Wing Beat Amplitude Sum, L+R, in radians