MaLER Dataset and Analysis Code: Conditioning and Tests in Ants

This dataset and code collection supports an experiment investigating the effects of formic acid—an alarm pheromone—on olfactory learning and generalisation in Camponotus aethiops ants. Ants were trained using a differential conditioning paradigm (maxilla-labium extension response, MaLER), where they learned to associate specific odours (hexanal or octanal) with a sucrose reward or a salt punishment. Prior to conditioning, ants were exposed to either formic acid or water. The aim was to evaluate how formic acid modulates discrimination between conditioned stimuli and generalisation to novel odours. The datasets include conditioning responses, generalisation test outcomes, and treatment conditions for each ant across trials.It includes:Raw data from two experimental phases: conditioning and memory test.Analysis scripts in R for:Mixed-effects modelling of conditioning responses (MaLER_Conditioning_Analysis.R)Delta-based discrimination score modelling using Bayesian methods (MaLER_Delta_Analysis.R)Evaluation of memory retention and generalisation through post-conditioning tests + specificity analysis (MaLER_Test_Analysis.R)Associated visualisations and statistical summaries derived from GLMM and Bayesian modelling.The conditioning phase assessed associative learning across trials using paired odours (hexanal/octanal) under different treatments (water vs formic acid). The memory and generalisation test evaluated whether ants retained odour-based associations and generalised responses to novel odours, with the probability of MaLER being modelled as a function of odour identity, pairing, and treatment.