Visual attention-related processes in desert locusts' collective-motion related decision making

Collective motion is generated and sustained by locally interacting
individuals in the group, navigating within a crowded and noisy social
environment. Although it is widely accepted that collective-motion sensory
processing involves focusing on the most behaviorally relevant cues, the
underlying cognitive mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we tested
for the presence of attention-related processes in marching last-instar
nymphs of the desert locust. Using carefully controlled visual stimuli
presented to individually tethered locusts in a natural walking posture,
we integrated the evaluation of body kinematics and gaze direction to
investigate two attention-related strategies: spatial selective attention
and gaze-shift movements. Our results indicate that locusts are sensitive
to specific swarming-related features, independent of their position
within the visual field. Moreover, the nymphs exhibited complex behavioral
responses to conflicting scenarios, suggesting attention-related
selectivity, with distinct gaze-shift patterns that facilitate visual
processing. Our findings highlight the complexity of the cognitive
mechanisms underlying vision-based, swarming-related decision making in
desert locusts, mechanisms that are likely common to other organisms
engaged in collective motion.