Synchrony in Drosophila melanogaster: From Peripheral Cells to Group Dynamics

The fly has been classified as a solitary creature with a limited repertoire of social behaviors that include reproductive interactions such as courtship and mating as well as fighting. Recent studies from our lab and others have shown that social context modulates individual behavior and that group level behaviors become evident when patterns of interaction are viewed as networks. I will discuss studies from our lab that define a neuropeptidergic pathway which controls pheromone expression and mediates social modulation of mating frequency. I will also provide an update on our ongoing analysis of social networks in Drosophila.