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Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

Poster

PBT: Behavior and Pest Management

D3115: The effect of serotonergic manipulation on ant feeding behavior

Tuesday, November 2, 2021
9:00 AM – 6:30 PM MT
Location:: Exhibit Hall F
In-Person Poster

    Presenting Author(s)

  • JS

    Jacob E. Shomali

    University of Scranton
    Ellicott City, Maryland, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • MS

    Marc Seid

    Associate Professor
    University of Scranton
    Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States

The serotonergic system has been implicated in several behavioral categories, including appetitive behaviors. For invertebrates, increased serotonin levels generally result in decreased food consumption. However, the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on invertebrate feeding behavior remains unclear. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of serotonergic manipulation on ant feeding behavior. We introduced the ant C. floridanus to serotonin precursor tryptophan, the SSRI fluoxetine, and the serotonin agonist methoxytryptamine to observe the effect on sucrose water consumption. Ultimately, we found that all serotonin-enhancing compounds decreased ant feeding behavior.