Date of this Version
Perez, John. "Olfactory learning capabilities of Paraphrynus laevifrons." Bachelor of Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Lincoln, Nebraska. 2018.
Amblypygids, a species of nocturnal arachnids from the tropics and subtropics are incredibly intelligent and are able to not only navigate through difficult tropical terrain but also, it is believed, possess olfactory learning capabilities that aid in navigation and recollection of environments. It is hypothesized that through sensitive olfactory receptors on their antenniform legs and highly developed mushroom bodies, Amblypygi can not only learn smells but also learn to associate smells with certain stimuli such as a crevice to take refuge in. To test this hypothesis, Paraphrynus laevifrons, a species of amplypygid was subjected to four different learning treatment groups with two distinct odorous compounds (1-Geraniol and 1-Hexanol). Over the course of the three training days and subsequent final test day, it was apparent that P. laevifrons was able to correctly associate a certain odor with the correct side at a higher percentage than expected. Although the results demonstrated a statistical significance, a larger sample size and more tests are required to determine to what level olfactory learning takes place within amblypygids.