Heliyon (Sep 2024)
Temporal characteristics of turbulent flow and moth orientation behaviour patterns with fluent simulation and moth-based moving model simulation
Abstract
Objective: Previous research has explored the pheromone release patterns of female moths, revealing species-specific release frequencies and the transmission of temporal information through odourant plumes in turbulent flows. Varying the release frequency during the orientation process results in distinct orientation behaviours. Studies on moth movement patterns have determined that encounters and deviations from odour plumes elicit distinct reactions; the time interval between each movement pattern is measured as the “reaction time,” and the interval between each detection and loss of odourant plume is measured as the “gap length.” Methods: We simulated turbulent flow at various release frequencies. Our efforts focused on establishing a model that could simulate the joint orientation movement under turbulent flow and intermittent plumes. We built an agent moving mechanism, including wind velocity information, with particular reference to the temporal parameter and orientation success efficiency. Results: We calculated the time threshold of each burst in different simulations under different wind velocities and release frequencies. The time structure characteristics of the plume along the turbulent flow vary depending on the distance from the source. We simulated walking agents in a turbulent environment and recorded their behaviour processes. The reaction time, release interval, and time threshold were related to the orientation results. Conclusion: On the basis of previous experimental results and our simulations, we conclude that the designated interval time likely enhances search efficiency. The complex and dynamic natural environment presents various opportunities for using this unique odour-source searching capability in different scenarios, potentially improving the control systems of odour-searching robots.
