Differences in learning and memory of host plant features between specialist and generalist phytophagous insects

Tapia, Daniel H.; Silva, Andrea X.; Ballesteros, Gabriel I.; Figueroa, Christian C.; Niemeyer, Hermann M.; Ramı́rez, Claudio C.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.04.027

Cited by 24 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The greater frequency of Diptera recorded in the present study may be related to the great diversity of the order, which inhabits the most diverse environments, and to its food habit, from haematophagous species to predators of other arthropods (Copatti & Daudt, 2009;Abreu et al, 2014), also to the presence of a rainy period that favours the resumption of insect activity and to the increase in organic matter content that takes place during that period (Poggiani et al, 1996;Wolda, 1988). The results obtained in the present study were similar to those in studies carried out by Calvin et al (2010), (Rovedder et al, 2009;Tapia et al, 2015). In the present study, Neto et al, 2012).…”

Section: Reduced Values For the Shannon Indexsupporting

confidence: 89%

Entomofauna diversity in areas of Caatinga under forest management in the semi-arid region of Ceará

et al. 2019

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The Caatinga is characterised by deciduous plant species. The practice in this ecosystem is the production of firewood which, when carried out with no technical criteria, contributes to a reduction in the biodiversity and degradation of the biome. Forest Management Planning has been approved by the Ministry of the Environment; a lower impact on the environment is expected, as there is still little information on the effect on biodiversity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diversity of soil fauna in areas that adopt a Forest Management Plan. Five areas were selected that adopt Forest Management Planning: Area T1, unexploited for six months; Area T2, unexploited for 2-3 years; Area T3 unexploited for 5-6 years; Area T4, unexploited for 10-11 years; and the Control Area (unexploited). Four pitfall traps were installed in each area. The Shannon-Weaver (H’) Index, the Pielou Uniformity Index (e) and the Species Richness Index were calculated for the purpose of estimating the existing biodiversity. Total richness varied from 7 to 14 groups for the different collection periods and between the treatments; the highest value for the Shannon Index (0.72) was found during the dry/rainy transition period in the area that had been exploited 5-6 years earlier. The number of specimens is influenced by the various stages of wood exploitation.

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Section: Reduced Values For the Shannon Indexsupporting

confidence: 89%

Entomofauna diversity in areas of Caatinga under forest management in the semi-arid region of Ceará

et al. 2019

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“…Generalists have been shown to change their innate preference more easily than specialists [32]. This was again supported by a direct comparison of the generalist aphid Myzus persicae that can feed on over 40 different plant species, and a closely related subspecies Myzus persicae nicotianae, which is a specialist on tobacco [33]. The generalist but not the specialist aphids change their preference for the host plant odors on which they were reared, to odors of a plant on which they subsequently had experience.…”

Section: Effects Of Environmental Variation and Spatial Foraging Behamentioning

confidence: 88%

“…At the population level, there is genetic variation in prepared learning associated with foraging behavior, linked to the foraging gene [22,[24][25][26], or due to genetic variation as for example in prepared learning of visual and olfactory cues [15]. Finally, between species there exists variation due to species-specific adaptations of prepared learning to ecological needs, such as described between specialist and generalist species [33]. Together, this variation allows for continuous fine-tuning of prepared learning in order to adapt to changes in the reliability and significance of information, supporting optimal decision making.…”

Section: Tailor-made Memory Described By Learning and Memory Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The complexity of learning, memory and neural processes in an evolutionary ecological context

Smid

Vet

2016

Current Opinion in Insect Science

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The ability to learn and form memories is widespread among insects, but there exists considerable natural variation between species and populations in these traits. Variation manifests itself in the way information is stored in different memory forms. This review focuses on ecological factors such as environmental information, spatial aspects of foraging behavior and resource distribution that drive the evolution of this natural variation and discusses the role of different genes and neural networks. We conclude that at the level of individual, population or species, insect learning and memory cannot be described as good or bad. Rather, we argue that insects evolve tailor-made learning and memory types; they gate learned information into memories with high or low persistence. This way, they are prepared to learn and form memory to optimally deal with the specific ecologies of their foraging environments. Highlights:• Environmental variation, spatial foraging behavior and the distribution of resources are factors that drive the evolution of differences in prepared learning • Considerable heritable variation exists in numerous learning and memory traits • Insects have evolved tailor-made memory types, adapted to the specific ecology of their foraging environment • The foraging gene is an important gene underlying natural variation in learning and memory • Dopaminergic signaling may drive the adaptive gating of information into different memory formsThe use of previous experience to optimize behavior in an adaptive manner is obviously of great benefit to all animals, including insects [1,2]. However, this does not mean that insects should learn and remember information from all possible experiences they encounter. Studies on diverse insect species have revealed the daunting complexity of different forms of memory each with different stabilities, including short-, mid-, anesthesia resistant-and long term memory (STM, MTM, ARM and LTM), e.g. [3][4][5][6]. In Fig. 1 we provide a basic description of these memory forms and their abbreviations. Why does learning not always result in the formation of LTM? To ensure the reliability of learned information, most animals require multiple, spaced experiences before information is stored as LTM. Nevertheless, some animals form LTM after a single experience suggesting that they may have evolved to rely on the Accepted in Current Opinion in Insect Science, CC-BY-NC-ND

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“…Tapia et al . (2015) showed that there was higher expression of the learning‐associated foraging gene ( for ) in the generalist aphid Myzus pericae s. str then on its specialist subspecies, Myzus pericae nictoianae . However, the present study also shows a trade‐off between preferences for previously experienced hosts and host quality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Memory duration is positively correlated with host fruit preference and offspring performance in a polyphagous frugivore

2020

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Understanding how polyphagous herbivores optimise foraging for multiple hosts remains unclear: prior experiences with hosts and the modification of subsequent behaviours (referred to in the broad sense as learning) have been proposed as one potential mechanism. A critical feature of learning is the effect of reward value, with learning and memory positively linked with reward quality. However, the links between host plant quality for offspring, prior experience and memory have not been researched in herbivorous insects. No‐choice and dual‐choice olfactometer assays were conducted to determine how prior oviposition experience on nine different fruits affected host preference, response times and the duration of altered response times (over subsequent days) in the polyphagous frugivore, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt). In no‐choice tests, the average time naïve B. tryoni took to respond to the different fruit odours differed and was directly correlated to larval host quality; for example, naïve females responded fastest to guava, a high‐quality larval host, and slowest to blueberry, a poor host. However, B. tryoni experienced on fruits for 24 h responded significantly faster to all fruits equally, regardless of fruit type. The duration of the experience‐based responses was directly correlated with fruit quality, with females displaying the longest response retention when experienced on high‐quality fruits and the shortest on low‐quality fruits. For B. tryoni, we demonstrate that the host responses following prior experience are influenced by the quality of a host plant for offspring survival.

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Differences in learning and memory of host plant features between specialist and generalist phytophagous insects

Cited by 24 publications

References 76 publications

Entomofauna diversity in areas of Caatinga under forest management in the semi-arid region of Ceará

Entomofauna diversity in areas of Caatinga under forest management in the semi-arid region of Ceará

The complexity of learning, memory and neural processes in an evolutionary ecological context

Memory duration is positively correlated with host fruit preference and offspring performance in a polyphagous frugivore

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