Data from: Automated identification of social interaction criteria in Drosophila melanogaster

The study of social behaviour within groups has relied on fixed definitions of an ‘interaction’. Criteria used in these definitions often involve a subjectively defined cut-off value for proximity, orientation and time (e.g. courtship, aggression and social interaction networks) and the same numerical values for these criteria are applied to all of the treatment groups within an experiment. One universal definition of an interaction could misidentify interactions within groups that differ in life histories, study treatments and/or genetic mutations. Here, we present an automated method for determining the values of interaction criteria using a pre-defined rule set rather than pre-defined values. We use this approach and show changing social behaviours in different manipulations of Drosophila melanogaster. We also show that chemosensory cues are an important modality of social spacing and interaction. This method will allow a more robust analysis of the properties of interacting groups, while helping us understand how specific groups regulate their social interaction space.针对群体内社会行为的研究，长期以来均依赖于对“互动”的固定定义。此类定义所采用的判定标准，通常会为空间接近度、行为朝向及互动时长设定主观划定的临界值（例如求偶、攻击行为与社会互动网络），且实验内所有处理组均套用同一套该类标准的数值阈值。若采用单一通用的互动定义，可能会误判那些生活史、实验处理或遗传突变存在差异的群体内的真实互动情况。在此，我们提出一种自动化方法：无需预设固定数值，而是通过预定义的规则集来确定互动判定标准的阈值。我们运用该方法，揭示了黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）在不同实验操控下的社会行为动态变化。同时我们还证实，化学感应线索是调控社会空间分布与互动的重要感官模态。该方法可实现对互动群体属性更稳健的分析，同时助力我们解析特定群体如何调控其社会互动空间。