Agricultural and Forest Entomology (2004) 6, 285-290

R.P. Blackshaw and T. Goodwin (2004)
Complex patterns from simple decisions: the emergence of behaviours in Otiorhynchus sulcatus F.
Agricultural and Forest Entomology 6 (4), 285-290
Abstract: 1 Filming the movement of individual adult Otiorhynchus sulcatus in a stimulus-free arena allows the frequency distribution of turning angles to be obtained. Turns are predominantly anti-clockwise and the distribution is dominated by three preferred angles (approximately 50, 130 and 190°).
2 The implications of these results are explored through deterministic and stochastic random walk models of fixed step-length. Use of each of these turning angles results in different trajectories, potentially representing different search patterns.
3 The introduction of stochastic variation in the turning angles alters the trajectories and, for the 50° turning angle, results in an approximation to published descriptions of spiral and circular search patterns for other insects.
4 This single parameter random walk model is compared with previously published models and it is postulated that, for O. sulcatus, the selection of a turning angle is sufficient to provide a rich repertoire of spatial trajectories.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
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Database assignments for author(s): Rod P. Blackshaw

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Otiorhynchus sulcatus