Balkenius, A., Kelber, A., and Balkenius, C. (2004). A model of selection between stimulus and place strategy in a hawkmoth. Adaptive Behavior, 12 (1). [PDF]
In behavioural experiments, the hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor can learn both the colour and the position of artificial flowers. When very similar colours are used, moths select the correct colour during the first test on a given day, thus using a stimulus strategy, but after repeated rewards, they switch to a place strategy and choose the ower in the position where they received the reward. When dissimilar colours are used, the moths continue to select owers based on colour and ignore position. We show how a computational model can reproduce the behaviour in the experimental situation. The aim of the model is to investigate which learning and behaviour selection strategies are necessary to reproduce the behaviour observed in the experiment. The model is based on behavioural data and the sensitivities of the moth photoreceptors. The model consists of a number of interacting behaviour systems that are triggered by specific stimuli and control specific behaviours. The ability of the moth to learn the colours of different owers and the adaptive processes involved in the choice between stimulus-approach and place-approach strategies are reproduced very accurately by the model. The model has implications both for further studies of the ecology of the animal and for robotic systems.