Repetitive insect motion

[lajoswinkler]

I think this is Chinavia hilaris Say, the green stink bug, or something related. The video has gone viral since it was uploaded three days ago.

How do you explain such behaviour? After all, bugs do sense the gravity vector, so it should not think it's walking on an endless surface (author says it was doing this for 3 hours!). Is it trying to escape from the "boulder"? The piece it's travelling around is probably something very light, like a clump of cotton, so it's probably nothing for this fellow.

Some kind of analogue loop error which stopped once there was a buildup of some chemicals somewhere in its body? Bugs are tiny organic robots, and this is not the first time simple creatures show futile repetitive tasks.

I've heard a funny explanation that the clump is actually static, and the bug is carrying the whole world on its back, travelling around the clump like Little Prince.

Someone was faster than me and made this.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

Some kind of analogue loop error which stopped once there was a buildup of some chemicals somewhere in its body? Bugs are tiny organic robots, and this is not the first time simple creatures show futile repetitive tasks.

Probably...

Edit: or it's one of those old myths, the bug is forcing the earth to rotate or something similar...

[Ralathon]

It's probably stuck in a loop.

It's on its back, it can sense that. Since bugs like that usually can't flip themselves upright on a flat surface it'll try to grab anything in the close environment to try and get up. Except the only nearby object is a very light cotton ball. So it gets stuck in a loop where it tries to use the cotton ball to flip itself but instead only succeeds in rotating the cotton ball.

[lajoswinkler]

It's kind of like when an ant is at the bottom of a slippery jar and it's walking in circles. I understand they can not grasp the notion of "I've been here", but they all leave their scent on the surfaces. Wouldn't that make them "think" about what they're doing?

[SystemGlitch]

It's kind of like when an ant is at the bottom of a slippery jar and it's walking in circles. I understand they can not grasp the notion of "I've been here", but they all leave their scent on the surfaces. Wouldn't that make them "think" about what they're doing?

They don't really have any kind of memory system, nor do most other bugs. Simply a nerve cluster that's spread throughout their body. Like OP said, they're organic robots, they perform the tasks that they were programmed to do by their genetics, and that's it.

When they're following a chemical trail, they do not stop until they reach their destination, which would be food, generally. Ants that were swarming on a piece of food will not "see" that it is gone once you remove it, and will scout the surrounding area, and either get lost, or somehow get back home.

Edited April 25, 2014 by SystemGlitch
Forgot to add the chemical trail bit

[PakledHostage]

Wouldn't that make them "think" about what they're doing?

But even people will act irrationally when confronted with seemingly futile situations. It is a rare individual who'll try something daring when really stuck. Consider Aron Ralston of "127 hours" fame. If your choice is "die" or "risk dying", why not choose "risk dying"? Yet how many people could have done what Aron Ralston did to save himself?

And some bugs are "smarter" than others. Bees, for example, have language that allows them to communicate between individuals and problem solving. I have also personally witnessed problem solving behavior in yellow jackets. Social insects like bees, wasps and ants are amazing creatures, and probably far more sophisticated than most people give them credit for.

[Dkmdlb]

If your choice is "die" or "risk dying", why not choose "risk dying"? Yet how many people could have done what Aron Ralston did to save himself?

Because death isn't the worst thing on some people's values scales. For people who wouldn't be willing to do it, it's not a choice between "die" or "risk dying," it's a choice between "die" and "something worse than dying."

[PakledHostage]

Because death isn't the worst thing on some people's values scales.

I fail to see how choosing to cut/break your own arm off is a value judgment?

[lajoswinkler]

They don't really have any kind of memory system, nor do most other bugs. Simply a nerve cluster that's spread throughout their body. Like OP said, they're organic robots, they perform the tasks that they were programmed to do by their genetics, and that's it.

When they're following a chemical trail, they do not stop until they reach their destination, which would be food, generally. Ants that were swarming on a piece of food will not "see" that it is gone once you remove it, and will scout the surrounding area, and either get lost, or somehow get back home.

That's what I'm saying. The bug must've left tons of its scent over the lump. Why is it not triggering another response? I wonder what happened after three hours, did it just stop or what...

[Ralathon]

That's what I'm saying. The bug must've left tons of its scent over the lump. Why is it not triggering another response? I wonder what happened after three hours, did it just stop or what...

That bug is a solitary herbivore, it does not leave scent trails like ants do since it doesn't communicate with others.

Also, flat surfaces are really rare in nature. So the selection pressure to develop the proper response for a situation like this is very low. It's simply not programmed to deal with this situation in the same way that humans aren't designed to detect and avoid radioactive waste.

[78stonewobble]

I fail to see how choosing to cut/break your own arm off is a value judgment?

Life with arm > Life?

Life with arm = Life?

Life with arm < Life?

Personally... It depends on which arm it is... I'm single so...

[Scotius]

You'd be surprised how complicated and "intelligent" can be behaviour of social insects. Bees have their own language. Ants can be trained to remember simple maze - instead of going into every deadended corridor every time, more experienced ants will follow shortest route to the exit. But yes, generally insects are literally simple-minded organisms. Bug from that clip recognizes it is lying flat on his back - which triggers instinctive reaction to escape from this situation. It also recognizes that its feet have contact with something solid and "grabbable" - so its doing its best to use that surface to full advantage. Unfortunately it lacks sense range and processing ability to recognize futility of its efforts. So that poor insect indeed is stuck in a loop: in danger->contact with surface->try to use it to escape->(no effect)-> in danger...ad infinitum. It probably turned that clump of cotton to exhaustion.

[Nuke]

I fail to see how choosing to cut/break your own arm off is a value judgment?

to be fair if people had found him (which would have never happened) and managed to get the rock off of him and took him to an emergency room, they would have amputated the arm anyway. it was likely mangled beyond repair the second the rock landed on it. he saved a buttload on his hospital bills by doing it himself.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Nuke

[lajoswinkler]

That bug is a solitary herbivore, it does not leave scent trails like ants do since it doesn't communicate with others.

Also, flat surfaces are really rare in nature. So the selection pressure to develop the proper response for a situation like this is very low. It's simply not programmed to deal with this situation in the same way that humans aren't designed to detect and avoid radioactive waste.

It's also a quite smelly one. I'd expect there's at least some of its coating on the clump. I wonder what did that trigger. More speed, perhaps...

You'd be surprised how complicated and "intelligent" can be behaviour of social insects. Bees have their own language. Ants can be trained to remember simple maze - instead of going into every deadended corridor every time, more experienced ants will follow shortest route to the exit. But yes, generally insects are literally simple-minded organisms. Bug from that clip recognizes it is lying flat on his back - which triggers instinctive reaction to escape from this situation. It also recognizes that its feet have contact with something solid and "grabbable" - so its doing its best to use that surface to full advantage. Unfortunately it lacks sense range and processing ability to recognize futility of its efforts. So that poor insect indeed is stuck in a loop: in danger->contact with surface->try to use it to escape->(no effect)-> in danger...ad infinitum. It probably turned that clump of cotton to exhaustion.

I guess we can agree that it was a bug. (YEEEAHHHHHHH!!!)

I'm so gonna try this when I find some bugs in the garden.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

I fail to see how choosing to cut/break your own arm off is a value judgment?

There are religious people who think of their body as a temple and that they don't own it. Their god does. I could see someone with this mindset preferring dying over desecrating their temple. After all, most religious people believe there is a better reality waiting for them on the other side.