Susquehanna University Scholarly Commons Senior Scholars Day Apr 27th, 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM Landmark-Guided T-Maze Learning in the Wolf Spider Tigrosa helluo Tiffany Guth Susquehanna University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.susqu.edu/ssd Part of the Behavioral Neurobiology Commons Guth, Tiffany, "Landmark-Guided T-Maze Learning in the Wolf Spider Tigrosa helluo" (2021). Senior Scholars Day. 22. https://scholarlycommons.susqu.edu/ssd/2021/posters/22 This Event is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Scholars Day by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Landmark-guided T-maze learning in the wolf spider Tigrosa helluo Tiffany L. Guth and Matthew H. Persons Biology Department, Neuroscience Program, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA 17870 ABSTRACT Reference Frame Wolf spiders can learn spatial navigation through simple maze tasks. It remains unclear if METHODS spatial learning is acquired through idiothetic information (i.e. self-referential movement • Spider is dropped at the start of cues) or if they use allothetic cues (e.g. external landmarks) to navigate. Spiders may 54cm Goal also use specific types of landmarks to navigate known as reference frames. A reference the water-covered maze (A) frame is an environmental shape or boundary that provides a framework for spatial localization. Using a modified water T-maze, we recorded the ability of adult female from a wrapped tube and given Tigrosa helluo wolf spiders to correctly navigate toward a target reward (dark tube). We 30 minutes to traverse the maze measured variation in spatial learning of the target location with and without a reference frame (patterned guide along the correct route). For each reference frame treatment, we and exit into the goal tube (B). tested females over ten consecutive trials whereby each subject had a maximum of thirty • Each spider is tested 10 trials B. Spider in the end minutes to successfully achieve the target. We repeated training the following day for goal after entering each subject for a total of 20 training trials over two days. For each trial we measured the per day over 2 days (20 total from the maze latency to achieve the target, number of backtracks, and number of wrong turns (n=14 trials) (N=28 spiders) spiders/treatment). Spiders showed significantly shorter time to goal over subsequent trials with significantly shorter mean latency to achieve target on the second day • During each trial we video Start compared to the first, but we found no difference in the time to find the goal between the recorded from above (C) : landmark and control treatments. We did find significantly fewer backtracks and turn errors in T-mazes with landmarks, but this was independent of trial number or testing day. • Time to reach goal A. Modified T-maze with one cm of water covering the surface to motivate the spider to escape. Black and white patterned washi tape was used as a guiding reference frame Wolf spiders can learn simple T-maze navigation under our testing conditions, but C. Apparatus is set up to minimize external • Number of wrong turns associated with the correct choice in the landmark treatments. The no landmark control learning is enhanced when guiding landmark features are present. Collectively these landmarks. Each trial is recorded from treatment had no washi tape. The darkened tube at the end of the correct arm of the • Number of backtracks above via a camcorder. results suggest that allothetic cues are important for spatial navigation and that learned maze was above the water line and allowed an escape from the water. spatial navigation tasks are better retained over two days in the presence of reference frames. Tables and figures reflect a three- RESULTS way ANOVA of effects of landmark SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS INTRODUCTION presence (Landmark), day of trial Landmarks can be important environmental cues for spatial navigation. They may be of Time to Goal Across Both Days (Day), and trial number (Trial) on 1200.000 time to goal (A), backtracks (B) Wolf spiders can learn to navigate a modified T-maze several types including beacons (e.g. lighthouses) that mark the location of a target, orientation and wrong turns (C). cues that provide directional heading information (e.g. the sun) or reference frames that serve Control Landmark 1000.000 as extended surfaces or boundaries that provide spatial information (e.g. shorelines, a road, or A. •Spiders showed a significant reduction in time to reach the hedgerow) (Chan, et al., 2012). Day 1 Day 2 800.000 Treatment F P target over subsequent trials for both Day One and Day Two The wolf spider, Tigrosa helluo is a facultative burrower that leaves a silk-lined retreat daily to feed before returning. The proximate mechanisms used by these spiders to navigate back to Landmark 3.23 0.084 of testing. their retreats are unknown. Since wolf spiders frequently leave silk draglines behind them as 600.000 Day 25.6 0.0001 •Spiders showed significantly lower times to reach the goal they walk through the environment and are known to follow these silk trails, they could provide 400.000 an important reference frame for spatial navigation (Tietjen & Rovner, 1980). As such, spiders Goal (sec) to Time Day*Landmark 1.53 0.23 during the second day of testing compared to the first. may be pre-disposed to use other types of reference frames as landmark navigational aids. •The presence of a reference frame had no significant effect During flash floods, these ground spiders may be dislodged from their retreats and may 200.000 Trial # 15.0 0.0001 need to find their way to higher ground. During these events, draglines are unlikely to be on time to reach the target, but spiders showed significantly 0.000 Trial #*Landmark 0.49 0.88 available and spiders may require using other information to spatially navigate. We tested the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 fewer backtracks and turn errors when a reference frame ability of adult female Tigrosa helluo to use a visual reference frame (patterned Washi tape) to Trial Number Day*Trial # 0.85 0.57 learn to navigate through a “flooded” T-maze and locate a target “retreat” on dry land. Previous landmark was present than when it wasn’t. studies show that ground spiders can learn spatial tasks, but these studies have often used Day*Trial # * 0.69 0.72 electrified plates (Punzo, 2000), or proximity to hot metal surfaces (Punzo & Bottrell, 2001; 7.000 Backtracks Across Both Days Landmark Female Tigrosa helluo improved spatial navigation within ten trials and they Punzo, 2002) as aversive stimuli during training. These studies likely represent less Control Landmark were able to retain this information over a 24-hr. period. Reference frame ecologically-relevant conditions and can induce the death of the test subjects. These studies 6.000 B. landmarks did not improve the time to successfully navigate the maze, but also did not examine the contributions of landmark features to learned spatial tasks. Day 1 Day 2 Treatment F P 5.000 they were likely used to maintain a directional heading since both backtracks Landmark 4.87 0.037 and wrong turns were significantly lower in the landmark treatment. It is 4.000 Day 2.76 0.11 likely that the spiders follow a general navigation rule such as “stay in contact with a reference frame when present” or “do not turn so as to lose sight of a 3.000 Day*Landmark 1.99 0.17 reference frame”. It may be that spiders paused with similar frequency in T- Mean Backtracks 2.000 Trial # 0.94 0.49 mazes with and without landmarks which resulted in no difference in time to reach the target but since error rates were significantly lower regardless of 1.000 Trial #*Landmark 0.94 0.49 trial number, backtracks were lower regardless of trial number, and time to goal acquisition being, on average shorter in T-mazes with landmarks, this 0.000 Day*Trial # 0.16 0.99 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 landmark feature was likely used in spatial orientation. Spiders may use this QUESTIONS Trial Number Day*Trial # * 0.43 0.92 learning ability adaptively. As ground spiders that live in shallow burrows, Can Tigrosa helluo wolf spiders learn to Landmark flash flood events may dislodge them from their retreats and spiders may use Wrong Turns Across Both Days spatial memory as well as reference frames to navigate to higher land. navigate a modified T-maze? 8.000 C. Control Landmark Treatment F P • Do they show progressively shorter maze 7.000 References Day 1 Day 2 Landmark 4.9 0.036 Chan, E., Baumann, O., Bellgrove, M. A., & Mattingley, J. B. (2012). From objects to lanDmarks: The 6.000 function of visual location information in spatial navigation. Frontiers in Psychology, 3. completion times over ten consecutive trials? Day 1.69 0.20 5.000 Doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00304 Punzo, F. (2000). An experimental analysis of maze learning in the wolf spiDer, Trochosa parthenus • Do they show shorter average maze Day*Landmark 1.53 0.23 4.000 (Araneae: LycosiDae). FloriDa Scientist, 63(3), 155-159. from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24321118 Punzo, F., & Bottrell, J. (2001). Spatial learning in the lynx spiDer Oxyopes salticus Hentz (Araneae, Trial # 1.11 0.35 completion times the second day of testing 3.000 OxyopiDae).