Data from: Automated identification of social interaction criteria in Drosophila melanogaster

The study of social behaviour within groups has relied on fixed definitions of an ‘interaction’. Criteria used in these definitions often involve a subjectively defined cut-off value for proximity, orientation and time (e.g. courtship, aggression and social interaction networks) and the same numerical values for these criteria are applied to all of the treatment groups within an experiment. One universal definition of an interaction could misidentify interactions within groups that differ in life histories, study treatments and/or genetic mutations. Here, we present an automated method for determining the values of interaction criteria using a pre-defined rule set rather than pre-defined values. We use this approach and show changing social behaviours in different manipulations of Drosophila melanogaster. We also show that chemosensory cues are an important modality of social spacing and interaction. This method will allow a more robust analysis of the properties of interacting groups, while helping us understand how specific groups regulate their social interaction space.针对群体内社会行为的研究，长期以来均依赖于对“互动”的固定定义。此类定义所采用的判定标准，通常包含针对空间距离、行为朝向与互动时长的主观设定临界值（如求偶、攻击行为及社会互动网络相关研究），且实验中所有处理组均套用同一套数值标准。单一通用的互动定义，可能会误判生活史、研究处理方式或基因突变存在差异的群体内的互动行为。本研究提出一种自动化方法，通过预设规则集而非固定预设值来确定互动判定标准的参数。我们运用该方法，揭示了黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）在不同操控处理下的社会行为变化；同时证实化学感应信号是调控社会间距与互动的重要感知模态。该方法可实现对互动群体特性更稳健的分析，同时助力我们解析特定群体如何调控自身的社会互动空间。