Sexual dimorphism and the impact of aging on ball rolling-associated locomotor behavior in Drosophila.

Abstract

Insects exhibit a remarkable ability to interact with inanimate objects to facilitate essential behaviors such as foraging, reproduction, shelter building, and defense. In this study, we assessed whether Drosophila interacted with inanimate objects when they were suspended on their wings and provided with a thermocol ball (foam ball). Drosophila indeed exhibited ball rolling behavior. We further examined the sexual dimorphism in this ball rolling-associated locomotor behavior. We carried out a ball rolling assay using 3-day-old male and female w1118 flies and measured the duration for which the flies could roll the ball without dropping it within a 10 min period. The ball was returned to the flies whenever they dropped it, and we calculated the number of times the ball was dropped within the 10 min duration. Females exhibited a longer ball holding duration than males. We also observed a decrease in ball holding duration and an increase in the number of times the ball was dropped by 15-day-old male and female flies than their younger counterparts. These results suggest sexual dimorphism and age-dependent alterations in Drosophila ball rolling-associated locomotor behavior.