Collective Behavior in Drosophila

This lecture explores the collective behavior in Drosophila, focusing on social interactions, mechanosensation, and odor avoidance. The presentation covers the influence of population density on CO2 avoidance behavior, encounter responses, and the impact of social context on sensory behavior. Through experiments and simulations, the lecture demonstrates how encounters between flies drive collective odor avoidance, emphasizing the importance of leg mechanosensory sensilla neurons. The study reveals that as population density increases, collective avoidance behavior emerges, with encounter responses playing a crucial role in Drosophila group dynamics.