Visual Learning and Decision Making in Drosophila melanogaster

Learning and memory are intensively studied topics in modern brain and cognitive science. Drosophila has been used in the study of visual learning and memory for approximately the past 20 years. In this chapter, we discuss the architecture and function of fruit fly’s visual system, which provides it with the sensory and neural substrate for color, motion, and shape vision. We then discuss visual learning, visual memory, invariant pattern recognition, selective attention, choice behavior, context generalization, spatial learning, habit formation, cross-modal memory transform, and synergism. Finally, we address the issues of collective learning and social decision making.