The Effect of Social Isolation on Locomotor Activity in the Houseflies (Musca Domestica)

Abstract

Social behavior is broadly defined as the interaction between members of the same species that changes their subsequent behavior. Isolation has been shown to affect behavioral traits such as courtship, mating aggression, foraging, learning and memory. This study investigated the effect of isolation (8 days) on adult Musca domestica locomotion. We found that isolation significantly affected male locomotor activity and that the effect of isolation was reduced over time giving a significant interaction of isolation and time. Females’ locomotion was not affected by isolation. These results suggest differences in response to social deprivation between sexes and add to the understanding of immediate consequences of behavioral interactions between houseflies.