Responses and communication
Behavior can be shaped by both immediate mechanisms and evolutionary history. A proximate explanation identifies how a response occurs; an ultimate explanation connects a response to reproductive consequences. Directional movement toward or away from a stimulus is taxis, while a change in movement rate without directional orientation can still alter distribution. Communication has a sender, signal, and receiver; selection can favor signaling when its consequences influence fitness. Behavioral claims should be tested with controls for light, temperature, odor, and other possible cues.
If insects gather in humid chambers, test whether they orient toward moisture or merely slow down in moist air. The same distribution can arise from different movement rules.
An apparently helpful behavior is not automatically conscious altruism. Identify measured costs, benefits, and relatedness rather than assigning motives.