P-31 Neural Plasticity and Behavioral Changes as a Result of Male-exposure in Females of an Insect Model

Syllable-period selective phonotaxis in female cricket (Acheta domesticus) as well as the corresponding response of neural elements such as the AN1/L1, AN2/L3 and ON1 neurons (which have been demonstrated to influence phonotaxis) have been the focus of multiple studies. Such studies, have reported individual variability in both responses (behavioral and neuronal). However, differences in their responses based on age are typical for this species. The behavioral and neuronal responses reported in the literature correlated, and ranged from selective to unselective for young and old females respectively. The subjects of all such studies have been virgin females raised in isolation. The current exploratory project investigates the apparent influence in the phonotactic and neuronal responses of male-exposed females of different ages. It had been proposed that the presence of males would significantly reduce selective phonotaxis in females in response to model calls. Preliminary results suggest that in contrast with previous studies, there does not seem to be an age correlation in the phonotactic response exhibited by male-expose females. Regardless of age, male-exposed females do not seem to discriminate between an attractive or unattractive model call and respond to a similar number of syllable periods tested. Additionally, intensity of the call may also affect syllable-period selective phonotaxis in these females. The potential effects of male exposure in the response of prothoracic auditory interneurons such as AN2/L3 are unknown. When presented with attractive calls only, L3s in young virgin females exhibit decrement (reduction in the number of action potentials to consecutive sound pulses within a chirp; and thus is syllable-period selective). Preliminary results, suggest that regardless of age, AN2/L3s of male-exposed females exhibit similar levels of decrement in response to auditory stimuli, irrespective of syllable period. Exposure to males, seems to affect the females’underlying neuronal connections, which influence recognition and selective phonotaxis, both of which are crucial for reproduction