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AGE-DEPENDENT ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING BY EXERISTES ROBORATOR (F.) (HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONIDAE)1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

A.R. Wardle  and
J.H. Borden
A.R. Wardle
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6
J.H. Borden
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6
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Abstract

Females of the polyphagous ichneumonid parasitoid, Exeristes roborator (F.), that were conditioned for 10 days to hosts in a specific habitat demonstrated associative learning by responding with ovipositor probes into the habitat alone. Females conditioned immediately after eclosion showed a higher participation rate, intensity, and duration (approximately 7 days) of learned behavior than those conditioned 5 or 10 days after eclosion, despite the fact that newly eclosed females did not probe for hosts with their ovipositors until 4 or 5 days after eclosion. The reduction in the learning ability of females within a short time after eclosion may impart a selective advantage to E. roborator by reducing the costs of learning. It could also reflect developmental constraints on the process of learning. The results suggest that carefully controlled associative learning could be exploited to improve the efficiency of host location by parasitoids released in biological-control programs.

Résumé

Des femelles du parasitoïde ichneumonide polyphage Exeristes roborator (F.) conditionnées pendant 10 jours à la présence d'hôtes dans un habitat spécifique ont fait preuve d'apprentissage par association en sondant cet habitat de leur ovipositeur en l'absence d'hôtes. Des femelles conditionnées immédiatement après l'émergence ont montré une participation plus nombreuse, une intensité plus élevée et une durée (environ 7 jours) plus longue de ce comportement appris que celles conditionnées 5 ou 10 jours après l'émergence, et ce malgré que les femelles nouvellement émergées ne cherchent pas d'hôtes avec leur ovipositeur avant 4 ou 5 jours. La réduction de la capacité d'apprentissage des femelles peu de temps après l'émergence est peut-être sélectivement avantageuse en évitant les coûts de l'apprentissage. Elle pourrait aussi indiquer que l'apprentissage dépend de contraintes ontogénétiques. Les résultats permettent de croire qu'il serait peut-être possible de contrôler l'apprentissage par association afin d'améliorer l'efficacité de recherche des parasitoïdes relâchés lors de programmes de lutte biologique.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 117 , Issue 5 , May 1985 , pp. 605 - 616
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1985

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