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Ant Double Y-Maze

See more by: MazeEngineers

$990.00

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Description

The Ant Double Y-maze consists of a Y-shaped structure branching into two additional Y-shaped arms. It is designed to investigate decision-making processes and lateralized behaviors in ants.

This maze is an adaptation of the conventional Y-maze used in rodent studies, employing a similar decision-making protocol.

Featuring a single longitudinal entrance channel, the maze includes two symmetrical branching cavities perpendicular to each other. Each branch is equipped with a Y-shaped structure, providing a total of four goal arms for experimental tasks.

Mazeengineers provides the Ant Double Y-Maze for research purposes.

Meet the producer

Producer: MazeEngineers

MazeEngineers offers custom-built behavioral mazes at no extra cost—designed to fit your exact research needs. Eliminate reproducibility issues from poor sizing or lingering scent cues with precision-engineered, modular, and smart mazes that adapt in real time to animal behavior. Publish new protocols, run adaptive experiments, and push the boundaries of behavioral science.

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Description

Features

Length of maze arms: 10mm

Width of maze arms: 2mm

Diameter of petri dishes: 230 x 230 x 19mm

Introduction

The Ant Double Y-maze serves as a tool for studying decision-making and lateralized behaviors in ants. It features a Y-shaped structure that branches into two additional Y-shaped arms. This maze is adapted from the standard Y-maze used in rodent studies, employing a similar decision-making protocol.

Animals rely on sensory organs to gather information about their environment. These sensory organs are integral to the nervous system, and further investigations explore how asymmetries in the left and right sides of the nervous system influence animal behaviors (Frasnelli, Vallortigara, & Rogers, 2014). The Ant Double Y-maze allows researchers to observe how ants exhibit biased choices towards either the left or right maze arm, offering insights into behaviors linked to their lateralized nervous systems. This maze is valuable for studying decision-making behaviors in ants related to mating, foraging, and shelter-seeking under various experimental protocols. Moreover, it facilitates the evaluation of how diseases, nervous system disorders, brain lesions, and pharmacological interventions affect learning, foraging, and mating behaviors.

Other apparatuses used for assessing ant behaviors include the Ant Binary Tree Maze, the Ant T-Maze, the Ant Double Bifurcation T-Maze, and the Ant Colony Maze.

Apparatus and Equipment

The Ant Double Y-maze is positioned within a 50 mm x 75 mm x 1.8 mm framework. This maze features a single longitudinal entrance channel and two symmetrical branching cavities arranged perpendicular to each other. Each branch is outfitted with a Y-Maze structure, providing a total of four goal arms. Each arm of the maze measures 10 mm in length and 2 mm in width. Additionally, the apparatus includes large Petri dishes (230 x 230 x 19 mm) placed at the terminus of the four branches to accommodate stimuli.

Training Protocol

Wash the perimeter with water after every trial. Appropriately light the maze. A tracking and recording system such as theĀ Noldus Ethovision XTĀ can be used to assist with observations.

Data Analysis

The following parameters can be observed on an Ant Double Y-maze:

  • Number of entries into the left branching cavity
  • Number of entries into the right branching cavity
  • Number of entries into the right goal arm (via left branching cavity)
  • Number of entries into the left goal arm (via left branching cavity)
  • Number of entries into the right goal arm (via right branching cavity)
  • Number of entries into the left goal arm (via right branching cavity)

Strengths and Limitations

Summary

  • The Ant Double Y-maze is used to study choice and lateralized behaviors of ants.
  • The Ant Double Y-maze consists of a longitudinal start arm and two symmetrical branches. Each branch is equipped with a Y-Maze.
  • The Ant Double Y-maze can be applied to evaluate behaviors associated with mating, foraging, and finding shelter under different experimental protocols.
  • The Ant Double Y-maze can also be used to test diseases and disorders related to the nervous system.

References

  1. Frasnelli, E., Vallortigara, G., & Rogers, L.J. (2012).Ā Left-right asymmetries of behaviour and nervous system in invertebrates.Ā Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(4). 1273–1291. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.02.006
  2. Hunt, E. R., Dornan, C., Sendova-Franks, A. B., & Franks, N. R. (2018).Ā Asymmetric ommatidia count and behavioural lateralization in the ant Temnothorax albipennis.Ā Scientific reports, 8(1),Ā doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23652-4

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