2. Behavioral Biology TALKS - Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft

����175 Lydia Zopf
Temperature and infrared detection in the blood sucking bug Rhodniusprolixus
Authors: Lydia Zopf 1 , Claudio R. Lazzari 2 , Harald Tichy 1
Affiliation: 1 Faculty of Life Science, University of Vienna, Department of Neurobiology,
Austria; 2 IRBI, UMR 7261 CNRS – Université François Rabelais, Faculté des
Sciences et Techniques; Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
Triatomine bugs are obligate blood feeders and act as vectors of Chagas disease, a
protzoan infection of man and other mammals in South America. They use different
sensory cues to locate a warm blood host, including CO2, infrared (IR) radiation and
odor stimuli. Lazzari and Nùñez (1989) and more recently Schmitz et al. (2000) have
established that triatomine bugs sense infrared radiation and approach a thermal
source in complete darkness guided solely by infrared radiation. McIver and Siemicki
(1985) described by means of SEM and TEM techniques a type of sensillum on the
bug’s antenna that has structural features adapted for thermo- and hygroreception.
The aim of the present study was to determine with electrophysiological techniques
the modalities which stimulate the sensory receptor neurons associated with this
sensillum type. We identified hygro- and thermoreceptive rceptor neurons, the latter
of which responding to IR radiation as well as convective heat provided by an air
stream flowing over the antenna. To elucidate the contribution of these receptor
neurons during orientation to an infrared source we studied their response
charateristics to temperature to temperature changes and infrared stimulation.
Supported by a grant from the Austrian Science Fund (Project P 23.503-B17).
Lazzari CR, Núñez JA (1989) J. Insect Physiol. 35, 525-529.
McIver S, Siemicki R (1985) J. Morphol. 183, 15-23.
Schmitz H, Trenner S, Hofmann MH, Bleckmann H (2000) J. Insect Physiol. 46, 745-751.
����175a Susanne Seltmann
Hormone dependent electrical properties in freely behaving zebra finches
Authors: Susanne Seltmann 1 , Lisa Trost 1 , Andries ter Maat 1 , Sebastien
Derégnaucourt 2 , Manfred Gahr 1
Affiliation: 1 Department for Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for
Ornithology, Seewiesen; 2 Laboratory of Compared Ethology and Cognition,
Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense
Song learning in songbirds has striking parallels to speech acquisition in humans. Both
songbirds and humans must hear adult tutors as well as their own vocal production
during a distinct learning period. A specific brain area is responsible for language /
song learning and memory consolidation, the speech centre in humans and its
equivalent in birds, the so called song control system. To get a closer view on those
neural mechanisms we have chosen the Zebra finch as a role model for perceptual
and sensorimotor learning in birds.
Melatonin is well known for its role in entrainment of circadian rhythms but
Melatonin receptors are also expressed in the song control system, a structure
without known clock function.
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