Perspectives in Chemoreception and Behavior

In the study of the physiological basis of animal behavior Vince Dethier has been a pioneer, a guiding star. Although his own work has centered on the blowfly and the caterpillar, his interests and influence have spread far beyond the insects. The breadth of this impact is indicated by the contributions from colleagues and former students in this volume. These papers were originally presented at a meeting to honor Vince's 70th birthday held at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in May 1985. It was attended by friends and col­ leagues of all ages from many parts of the world. However, the picture presented by these papers is not the whole story. What it does not show is the extent of Vince's interest and influence beyond the rigorous, though friendly, atmosphere of the research laboratory. His idyllic summers in Maine have produced studies on the natural history of feeding by insects culminating in The Tent Makers, with more to come. In these studies we see his real love and, dare we say, understanding of the insect. Vince Dethier is not concerned simply with reaching the established scientist. In To Know a Fly he reaches out to those just beginning, perhaps even to those who will never begin, and provides insight both to the experimentalist's approach and to the fun of research. His sense of fun and his elegant, fluent writing have given us, too, his tongue-in-cheek fictional writings for children of all ages.

Contenu

1 The Internal Environment and Appetitive Measures of Taste Function in the Rat.- 2 Animal Motivation: The Beginning of the End?.- 3 Plasticity in Control Systems for Insect Feeding Behavior.- 4 Vertebrate Taste Receptors.- 5 Volta and Taste Psychophysiology.- 6 What Makes a Caterpillar Eat? The Sensory Code Underlying Feeding Behavior.- 7 Chemoreception in the Fly: The Search for the Liverwurst Receptor.- 8 The Strange Fate of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids.- 9 The Role of Experience in the Host Selection of Phytophagous Insects.- 10 The Evolution of Deterrent Responses in Plant-Feeding Insects.- 11 Speculations Concerning the Large White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.): Do the Females Assess the Number of Suitable Host Plants Present?.- Author Index.