Presentation Details
Effects of social isolation on adult black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) behavior and neurobiology   

Mariangeles Zacarias , Meghan Barrett.

Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Abstract


Social isolation can lead to changes in animal behavior, longevity, and neural development that may be mediated through a disruption of energy homeostasis. While eusocial insects are known to be significantly impacted by social isolation, emerging evidence indicates that less-social insects, such as fruit flies, can also be affected. We assessed if longevity, activity patterns, and neurobiology of adult black soldier flies (BSF) are impacted by social isolation; further, we assessed if the inclusion of a single, same-sex conspecific could rescue any effects of isolation when compared to group-housed flies. Contrary to data in fruit flies, we show that socially isolated BSF live longer than both paired and group-housed flies. Locomotor activity also differed between grouped and isolated flies, with isolation reducing activity. Isolation did not cause any volumetric changes in the brain. Greater comparative research across less-social insects that vary in dimensions of their conspecific interaction could shed light on what features of sociality mediate these divergent effects of isolation. 

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