Functional and morphological mapping of the insect brain

在目前的研究中，对几种昆虫的大脑结构和学习行为进行了研究。大黄蜂和蟑螂在大脑结构和学习能力上存在显著差异。2)野外观察和室内实验表明，大黄蜂在觅食飞行过程中使用了多种记忆系统，包括运动程序记忆、地标引导记忆、广域图像匹配记忆、喂食者（目标）精确图像学习等。蟑螂也被训练进行一些学习。然而，他们的学习能力似乎是有限的：他们可能会进行一些原始的联想学习。蟑螂的学习能力差似乎是很合理的，因为它们在自然栖息地下似乎不需要学习。大脑的解剖比较也显示了大黄蜂和蟑螂之间的明显差异。蘑菇体是昆虫大脑中最大的一对隔室，与蟑螂相比，大黄蜂的蘑菇体发育良好，组织严密。其他脑区如中央体和嗅叶的相对大小在两种动物之间没有显著差异。4)这些数据表明，昆虫大脑中的蘑菇体与高级脑功能密切相关。

1) In the present study structure of brain and learning behavior have been examined in several species of insects. Remarkable differences of the brain structures well as learning abilities could be found between hornets Vespa mandarinia, and cockroaches Periplaneta americana.2) Field observation and laboratory experiments showed that during their forage flight hornets used multiple memory systems, which were memory of motor program, landmark guidance, wide field image matching, learning of pinpoint image of the feeder (goal). Cockroaches were also trained to perform some learning. However, their ability of learning seemed to be limited : they might perform some primitive associative learning. Poor learning ability of the cockroach appears quite reasonable, because they do not seem to need learning under natural habitat.3) Anatomical comparison of the brain also showed clear differences between the hornet and the cockroach. Mushroom bodies, which are a pair of the largest compartments of the insect brain, were well developed and highly organized in the hornet as compared with those of the cockroach. There were no significant differences in relative size of other brain compartment such as central body and olfactory lobes between the two species.4) These data suggest that the mushroom body in the insect brain is deeply concerned with higher brain function.