Amir Ayali

Tel Aviv University | TAU · School of Zoology

Visual interactions play an instrumental role in collective-motion-related decision-making. However, our understanding of the various tentative mechanisms that can serve the visual-based decision-making is limited. We investigated the role that different attributes of the visual stimuli play in the collective-motion-related motor response of locust...

Adult female desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) dig underground to lay their eggs, ensuring optimal conditions for successful hatching. Digging is performed using the two pairs of oviposition valves at the tip of the female's abdomen. These valves are subjected to considerable shear forces during the repeated digging cycles, potentially leading...

The female locust lays its eggs deep within soft substrate to protect them from predators and provide optimal conditions for successful development and hatching. During oviposition digging, the female’s abdomen is pooled and extends into the ground, guided by a dedicated excavation mechanism at its tip, comprising two pairs of specialized digging v...

Background The female locust is equipped with unique digging tools, namely two pairs of valves—a dorsal and a ventral—utilized for excavating an underground hole in which she lays her eggs. This apparatus ensures that the eggs are protected from potential predators and provides optimal conditions for successful hatching. The dorsal and the ventral...

A city’s economic growth and the inhabitants’ wellbeing are highly affected by its topology and connecting networks, which, in turn, influence movement and flows in the city. Flow relates to how a city is developed, organized, managed, and built. The analysis of flow in cities is challenging but essential. In this study, the fields of urban design...

The female locust lays its eggs deep within soft substrate to protect them from predators and provide optimal conditions for successful hatching. During oviposition digging, the female abdomen extends into the ground, guided by a dedicated excavation mechanism at its tip, comprising two pairs of specialized digging valves. Little is known about how...

Intermittent motion is prevalent in animal locomotion. Of special interest is the case of collective motion, in which social and environmental information must be processed in order to establish coordinated movement. We explored this nexus in locust, focusing on how intermittent motion interacts with swarming-related visual-based decision-making. U...

Naturally occurring collective motion is a fascinating phenomenon in which swarming individuals aggregate and coordinate their motion. Many theoretical models of swarming assume idealized, perfect perceptual capabilities, and ignore the underlying perception processes, particularly for agents relying on visual perception. Specifically, biological v...

Locusts are renowned for their coordinated locomotion, in which juveniles swarm and walk in a synchronized fashion. While it is generally accepted that vision is the main form of communication enabling this behavior, it is suggested here that mechanical vibrations may also contribute to communication within the group. Using a laser Doppler vibromet...

Crickets serve as a well-established model organism in biological research spanning various fields, such as behavior, physiology, neurobiology, and ecology. Cricket circadian behavior was first reported over a century ago and prompted a wealth of studies delving into their chronobiology. Circadian rhythms have been described in relation to fundamen...

Light is the most important Zeitgeber for temporal synchronization in nature. Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts the natural light-dark rhythmicity and thus negatively affects animal behavior. However, to date, ALAN research has been mostly conducted under laboratory conditions in this context. Here, we used the field cricket, Gryllus bimacu...

Swarming or collective motion is ubiquitous in natural systems, and instrumental in many technological applications. Accordingly, research interest in this phenomenon is crossing discipline boundaries. A common major question is that of the intricate interactions between the individual, the group, and the environment. There are, however, major gaps...

It is crucial for living organisms to be in synchrony with their environment and to anticipate circadian and annual changes. The circadian clock is responsible for entraining organisms’ activity to the day-night rhythmicity. Artificial light at night (ALAN) was shown to obstruct the natural light cycle, leading to desynchronized behavioral patterns...

Naturally occurring collective motion is a fascinating phenomenon in which swarming individuals aggregate and coordinate their motion. Many theoretical models of swarming assume idealized, perfect perceptual capabilities, and ignore the underlying perception processes, particularly for agents relying on visual perception. Specifically, biological v...

Collectively moving groups of animals rely on the decision-making of locally interacting individuals in order to maintain swarm cohesion. However, the complex and noisy visual environment poses a major challenge to the extraction and processing of relevant information. We addressed this challenge by studying swarming-related decision-making in dese...

Identifying chemical odors rapidly and accurately is critical in a variety of fields. Due to the limited human sense of smell, much effort has been dedicated to the development of electronic sensing devices. Despite some recent progress, such devices are still no match for the capabilities of biological (animal) olfactory sensors, which are light,...

When digging in the ground during egg laying the female locust extends her abdomen to 2-3 times its original length. How the abdominal nervous system accommodates such extreme elongation remains unknown. We characterized and quantified the system’s biomechanical response using controlled ex-vivo elongation and force measurements. The microstructure...

Light is the major signal entraining the circadian clock that regulates physiological and behavioral rhythms in most organisms, including insects. Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts the natural light–dark cycle and negatively impacts animals at various levels. We simulated ALAN using dim light stimuli and tested their impact on gene expressi...

Collectively moving groups of animals rely on the decision-making of locally interacting individuals in order to maintain swarm cohesion. However, the complex and noisy visual environment poses a major challenge to the extraction and processing of relevant information. We addressed this challenge by studying swarming-related decision-making in dese...

Light is the major signal entraining the circadian clock that regulates physiological and behavioral rhythms in most organisms, including insects. Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) disrupts the natural light-dark cycle and negatively impacts animals at various levels. We simulated ALAN using dim light stimuli and tested their impact on gene expressi...

Collective motion of large-scale natural swarms, such as moving animal groups or expanding bacterial colonies, has been described as self-organized phenomena. Thus, it is clear that the observed macroscopic, coarse-grained swarm dynamics depend on the properties of the individuals of which it is composed. In nature, individuals are never identical...

The female locust has a unique mechanism for digging in order to deposit its eggs deep in the ground. It uses two pairs of sclerotized valves to displace the granular matter, while extending its abdomen as it propagates underground. This ensures optimal conditions for the eggs to incubate and provides them with protection from predators. Here, the...

Locust plagues are a notorious, ancient phenomenon. These swarming pests tend to aggregate and perform long migrations, decimating cultivated fields along their path. When population density is low, however, the locusts will express a cryptic, solitary, non‐aggregating phenotype that is not considered a pest. Although the transition from the solita...

The female locust has a unique mechanism for digging in order to deposit its eggs deep in the ground. It utilizes two pairs of sclerotized valves to displace the granular matter, while extending its abdomen as it propagates underground. This ensures optimal conditions for the eggs to incubate, and provides them with protection from predators. Here,...

Living organisms experience a worldwide continuous increase in artificial light at night (ALAN), negatively affecting their behaviour. The field cricket, an established model in physiology and behaviour, can provide insights into the effect of ALAN on insect behaviour. The stridulation and loco-motion patterns of adult male crickets reared under di...

Biologicalisation calls for the integration of biological knowledge in manufacturing. Although biologists have been cataloguing biological knowledge for centuries, for the non-biologist finding this inspiration as input for bio-inspired design is a major challenge. In this paper, three different methods are used to find bio-inspiration for a case s...

The paper explores and presents results of an investigation handling design methodologies using the bio-space and biological phenomena combined with the technical space for the development, design and application of products, machine tools, processes and manufacturing systems carried out by a multinational team including Fraunhofer and CIRP fellows...

The global lockdown to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic health risks has altered human interactions with nature. Here, we report immediate impacts of changes in human activities on wildlife and environmental threats during the early lockdown months of 2020, based on 877 qualitative reports and 332 quantitative assessments from 89 different studies. Hundr...

The cockroach is an established model in the study of locomotion control. While previous work has offered important insights into the interplay among brain commands, thoracic central pattern generators, and the sensory feedback that shapes their motor output, there remains a need for a detailed description of the central pattern generators’ motor o...

Decisions are seldom entirely devoid of social influence. Even in organisms that have traditionally been considered non-social, the social environment plays an important role in mediating behavior. Here we review the current knowledge regarding the neural basis of social behaviors in non-eusocial insects, with a particular focus on fruit flies, coc...

A hallmark of the desert locust's ancient and deserved reputation as a devastating agricultural pest is that of the long-distance, multi-generational migration of locust swarms to new habitats. The bacterial symbionts that reside within the locust gut comprise a key aspect of its biology, augmenting its immunity and having also been reported to be...

The collective motion of swarms depends on adaptations at the individual level. We explored these and their effects on swarm formation and maintenance in locusts. The walking kinematics of individual insects were monitored under laboratory settings, before, as well as during collective motion in a group, and again after separation from the group. I...

The paper explores and presents results of an investigation handling design methodologies using the bio-space and biological phenomena combined with the technical space for the development, design and application of products, machine tools, processes and manufacturing systems carried out by a multinational team including Fraunhofer and CIRP fellows...

During hundreds of millions of years of evolution, insects have evolved some of the most efficient and robust sensing organs, often far more sensitive than their man-made equivalents. In this study, we demonstrate a hybrid bio-technological approach, integrating a locust tympanic ear with a robotic platform. Using an Ear-on-a-Chip method, we manage...

Biologicalisation calls for the integration of biological knowledge in manufacturing. Although biologists have been cataloguing biological knowledge for centuries, for the non-biologist finding this inspiration as input for bio-inspired design is a major challenge. In this paper, three different methods are used to find bio-inspiration for a case s...

As one of the world's most infamous agricultural pests, locusts have been subjected to many in-depth studies. Their ability at one end of their behavioral spectrum to live as solitary individuals under specific conditions, and at the other end of the spectrum to form swarms of biblical scale, has placed them at the focus of vast research efforts. O...

Locust plagues are an ancient phenomenon, with references going back to the Old Testament. These swarming pests are notorious for their tendency to aggregate and perform long migrations, consuming vast amounts of vegetation and decimating the cultivated fields on their path. However, when population density is low, locusts will express a solitary,...

A hallmark of the desert locust’s ancient and deserved reputation as a devastating agricultural pest is that of the long-distance, multi-generational migration of locust swarms to new habitats. The bacterial symbionts that reside within the locust gut comprise a key aspect of its biology, augmenting its immunity and having also been reported to be...

A major challenge in designing technologies that are intended to work in direct contact with humans lies in achieving maximal coordination between the human and the technological device (robot), while minimizing interference with or restraint of the normal human behavior. This is particularly relevant to systems designed to assist in human walking....

Collective motion is an important biological phenomenon, ubiquitous among different organisms. Locusts are a quintessential example of collective motion: while displaying a minimal level of cooperation between individuals, swarms of millions are highly robust and persistent. Using desert locusts in a series of carefully controlled laboratory experi...

The important role that locust gut bacteria play in their host biology is well accepted. Among other, gut bacteria were suggested to be involved in the locust swarming phenomenon. In addition, in many insect orders, the reproductive system was reported to serve as a vector for trans-generation bacterial inoculation. Knowledge of the bacterial fauna...

Locust density-dependent phase polyphenism presents a quintessential example of environmentally induced plasticity. Almost a century of research has yielded ample knowledge regarding the multitude of ecological, physiological, and molecular phase-dependent characteristics. This short review highlights the considerable advances that have been made i...

Large insects actively ventilate their tracheal system even at rest, using abdominal pumping movements, which are controlled by a central pattern generator (CPG) in the thoracic ganglia. We studied the effects of respiratory gases on the ventilatory rhythm by isolating the thoracic ganglia and perfusing its main tracheae with various respiratory ga...

Large insects actively ventilate their tracheal system even at rest, using abdominal pumping movements, which are controlled by a central pattern generator (CPG) in the thoracic ganglia. We studied the effects of respiratory gases on the ventilatory rhythm by isolating the thoracic ganglia and perfusing its main tracheae with various respiratory ga...

Insect locomotion represents a fundamental example of neuronal oscillating circuits generating different motor patterns or gaits by controlling their phase coordination. Walking gaits are assumed to represent stable states of the system, often modeled as coupled oscillators. This view is challenged, however, by recent experimental observations, in...

The desert locust demonstrates density-dependent phase polyphenism: For extended periods it appears in a non-aggregating, non-migrating phenotype, known as the solitary phase. When circumstances change, solitary individuals may aggregate and transform to the gregarious phenotype, which have a strong propensity for generating large swarms. Previous...

Per-sample relative abundance of phyla for gregarious (A), solitary (B) and field- collected (C) locusts.

Unweighted UniFraq principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) of locust hindgut bacterial composition.

Animal collective motion arises from the intricate interactions between the natural variability among individuals, and the homogenizing effect of the group, working to generate synchronization and maintain coherence. Here, these interactions were studied using marching locust nymphs under controlled laboratory settings. A novel experimental approac...

Higher motor centers and central pattern generators (CPGs) interact in the control of coordinated leg movements during locomotion throughout the animal kingdom. The subesophageal ganglion (SEG) is one of the insect head ganglia reported to have a role in the control of walking behavior. Here we explored the functional relations between the SEG and...

Lateralized behaviours are widespread among the animals, including insects with their miniature brains, perhaps being a way of maximising neural capacity (reviewed in [1 • Frasnelli E. • Vallortigara G. • Rogers L.J. Left-right asymmetries of behaviour and nervous system in invertebrates.Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 2012; 36: 1273-1291 • Crossref • P...

Mating and reproduction behaviors and strategies are fundamental aspects of an organism’s evolutionary and ecological success. In locusts, intra- as well as inter-phase reproductive interactions among gregarious and solitarious locust populations have a major impact on the locust population dynamics. However, practically all previous work on locust...

Mating and reproduction behaviors and strategies are fundamental aspects of an organism evolutionary and ecological success. In locusts, intra- as well as inter-phase reproductive interactions among gregarious and solitarious locust populations have a major impact on the locust population dynamics. However, practically all previous work on locust s...

Background: Monitoring neuronal activity in the intact behaving animal is most desired in neuroethological research, yet it is rarely straightforward or even feasible. Here we present the use of manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), a technique allowing monitoring the activity of an animal's nervous system during specific behavior...

The neural control of insect locomotion is distributed among various body segments. Local pattern-generating circuits at the thoracic ganglia interact with incoming sensory signals and central descending commands from the head ganglia. The evidence from different insect preparations suggests that the subesophageal ganglion (SEG) may play an importa...

Studies of mating and reproductive behavior have contributed much to our understanding of various animals’ ecological success. The desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria , is an important agricultural pest. However, knowledge of locust courtship and precopulatory behavior is surprisingly limited. Here we provide a comprehensive study of the precopula...

The neural control of insect locomotion is distributed among various body segments. Local pattern-generating circuits at the thoracic ganglia interact with incoming sensory signals and central descending commands from the head ganglia. The evidence from different insect preparations suggests that the subesophageal ganglion (SEG) may play an importa...

Discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) is the best studied among insect gas exchange patterns. DGE cycles comprise three phases, which are defined by their spiracular state: close, flutter, and open, although spiracle status has rarely been monitored directly. Rather, it is often assumed based on CO2 emission traces. In this study, we directly recorded e...

Interactions among different neuronal circuits are essential for adaptable coordinated behavior. Specifically, higher motor centers and central pattern generators (CPGs) induce rhythmic leg movements that act in concert in the control of locomotion. Here we explored the relations between the subesophageal ganglion (SEG) and thoracic leg CPGs in the...

Studies of mating and reproductive behavior have contributed much to our understanding of various animals’ ecological success. The desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria , is an important agricultural pest. However, knowledge of locust courtship and precopulatory behavior is surprisingly limited. Here we provide a comprehensive study of the precopula...

Bio-inspired robotics is a promising design strategy for mobile robots. Jumping is an energy efficient locomotion gait for traversing difficult terrain. Inspired by the jumping and flying behavior of the desert locust, we have recently developed a miniature jumping robot that can jump over 3.5 m high. However, much like the non-adult locust, it rot...

Locusts are grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) that are characterised by their capacity for extreme population density-dependent polyphenism, transforming between a cryptic solitarious phase that avoids other locusts, and a swarming gregarious phase that aggregates and undergoes collective migration. The two phases differ in any aspects of behavi...

Many motor behaviors, and specifically locomotion, are the product of an intricate interplay between neuronal oscillators known as central pattern generators (CPGs), descending central commands, and sensory feedback loops. The relative contribution of each of these components to the final behavior determines the trade-off between fixed movements an...

The adaptive nature of discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) in insects is contentious. The classic ‘hygric hypothesis’, which posits that DGE serves to reduce respiratory water loss (RWL), is still the best supported. We thus focused on the hygric hypothesis in this first-ever experimental evolution study of any of the competing adaptive hypotheses. We...

Collective motion has traditionally been studied in the lab in homogeneous, obstacle-free environments, with little work having been conducted with changing landscapes or topography. Here, the impact of spatial heterogeneity on the collective motion exhibited by marching desert locust nymphs was studied under controlled lab conditions. Our experime...

Collective motion has traditionally been studied in the lab in homogeneous, obstacle-free environments, with little work having been conducted with changing landscapes or topography. Here, the impact of spatial heterogeneity on the collective motion exhibited by marching desert locust nymphs was studied under controlled lab conditions. Our experime...