Image analysis of caterpillar feeding behavior
M.A. Rowley1, J. Stitt2 and F.E. Hanson3
1Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, U.S.A.
2Pennsylvania State University, University Park, U.S.A.
3UMBC, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.
Efficiency and researcher bias have always plagued behavioral experiment design. The task at hand is to construct a reliable monitor of animal behavior while eliminating the possibility of researcher bias. Previous studies of caterpillar feeding behavior have relied on long periods of human observation (13+ hours) and visual evaluation of food consumption at critical time points. Our new behavior rig eliminates the need for both human observation and data collection/analysis. Using an array of CCD cameras, individual animals are monitored via computer for the duration of the experiment. Images are obtained at pre-set time intervals using a frame grabber to take still images from the CCD cameras. After the experiment, these images are analyzed using software written in Matlab. This system no longer requires a human observer for data collection and, most importantly, removes the possibility of experimenter bias in data analysis.
Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2002 , 4th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 27-30 August 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands