BACKGROUND The quantitative study of behavioral responses to visual stimuli provides crucial information about the computations executed by neural circuits. Insects have long served as powerful model systems, either when walking on air suspended balls (spherical treadmill), or flying while glued to a needle (virtual flight arena). NEW METHOD Here we present detailed instructions for 3D-printing and assembly of arenas optimized for visually guided navigation, including codes for presenting both celestial and panorama cues. These modular arenas can be used either as virtual flight arenas, or as spherical treadmills and consist entirely of commercial and 3D-printed components placed in a temperature and humidity controlled environment. COMPARISON TO EXISTING METHOD(S) Previous assays often include a combination of rather cost-intensive and technically complex, custom-built mechanical, electronic, and software components. Implementation amounts to a major challenge when working in an academic environment without the support of a professional machine shop. RESULTS Robust optomotor responses are induced in flyingDrosophila by displaying moving stripes in a cylinder surrounding the magnetically tethered fly. Similarly, changes in flight heading are induced by presenting changes in the orientation of linearly polarized UV light presented from above. Finally, responses to moving patterns are induced when individual flies are walking on an air-suspended ball. CONCLUSION These modular assays allow for the investigation of a diverse combination navigational cues (sky and panorama) in both flying and walking flies. They can be used for the molecular dissection of neural circuitry in Drosophila and can easily be rescaled for accommodating other insects.

中文翻译：

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用于对飞行和步行果蝇的目视导航进行定量研究的模块化试验。

背景技术对视觉刺激的行为反应的定量研究提供了有关神经回路执行的计算的重要信息。昆虫长期用作强大的模型系统，无论是在悬空的球上行走（球形跑步机），还是在粘在针头上飞行时（虚拟飞行场）。新方法在这里，我们为3D打印和竞技场的组装提供了详细的说明，这些场景针对视觉引导的导航进行了优化，包括用于呈现天体和全景线索的代码。这些模块化的竞技场既可以用作虚拟飞行竞技场，也可以用作球形跑步机，并且完全由置于温度和湿度受控环境中的商业和3D打印组件组成。与现有方法的比较以前的分析通常包括成本较高且技术复杂，定制的机械，电子和软件组件的组合。在没有专业机器车间支持的学术环境中工作时，实施是一项重大挑战。结果果蝇通过在围绕磁性束缚蝇的圆柱体中显示运动条纹，从而在果蝇中诱导了强烈的光动力反应。类似地，飞行航向的变化是通过呈现从上方呈现的线性偏振紫外线的方向变化而引起的。最后，当单个苍蝇在空气悬浮的球上行走时，会引起对运动模式的响应。结论这些模块化的分析方法可以研究飞行和步行苍蝇的多种组合导航提示（天空和全景）。它们可用于果蝇中神经回路的分子解剖，并可以轻松地重新定标以容纳其他昆虫。