Internal state effects on behavioral shifts in freely behaving praying mantises (Tenodera sinensis)

Pickard, Shanel C.; Bertsch, David; Garrec, Zoe Le; Ritzmann, Roy E.; Quinn, Roger D.; Szczecinski, Nicholas S.

doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009618

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…There, findings show that attentional resources are more focussed when searching for cryptic prey. Conversely, hunger leads to praying mantises widening their search for possible prey (Bertsch et al 2019 ; Pickard et al 2021 ). Our findings further argue that learning about reward value also influences attention in bees, even when the rewarding flowers are not cryptic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning modifies attention during bumblebee visual search

Robert,

Tarapata,

Nityananda

2024

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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The role of visual search during bee foraging is relatively understudied compared to the choices made by bees. As bees learn about rewards, we predicted that visual search would be modified to prioritise rewarding flowers. To test this, we ran an experiment testing how bee search differs in the initial and later part of training as they learn about flowers with either higher- or lower-quality rewards. We then ran an experiment to see how this prior training with reward influences their search on a subsequent task with different flowers. We used the time spent inspecting flowers as a measure of attention and found that learning increased attention to rewards and away from unrewarding flowers. Higher quality rewards led to decreased attention to non-flower regions, but lower quality rewards did not. Prior experience of lower rewards also led to more attention to higher rewards compared to unrewarding flowers and non-flower regions. Our results suggest that flowers would elicit differences in bee search behaviour depending on the sugar content of their nectar. They also demonstrate the utility of studying visual search and have important implications for understanding the pollination ecology of flowers with different qualities of reward. Significance statement Studies investigating how foraging bees learn about reward typically focus on the choices made by the bees. How bees deploy attention and visual search during foraging is less well studied. We analysed flight videos to characterise visual search as bees learn which flowers are rewarding. We found that learning increases the focus of bees on flower regions. We also found that the quality of the reward a flower offers influences how much bees search in non-flower areas. This means that a flower with lower reward attracts less focussed foraging compared to one with a higher reward. Since flowers do differ in floral reward, this has important implications for how focussed pollinators will be on different flowers. Our approach of looking at search behaviour and attention thus advances our understanding of the cognitive ecology of pollination.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning modifies attention during bumblebee visual search

Robert,

Tarapata,

Nityananda

2024

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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show abstract

“…There, findings show that attentional resources are more focussed when searching for cryptic prey. Conversely, hunger leads to praying mantises widening their search for possible prey (Bertsch et al 2019; Pickard et al 2021). Our findings further argue that learning about reward value also influences attention in bees, even when the rewarding flowers are not cryptic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning modifies attention during bumblebee visual search

Robert,

Tarapata,

Nityananda

2023

Preprint

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The role of visual search during bee foraging is relatively understudied compared to the choices made by bees. As bees learn about rewards, we predicted that visual search would be modified to prioritise rewarding flowers. To test this, we ran an experiment testing how bee search differs in the initial and later part of training as they learn about flowers with either higher-or lower-quality rewards. We then ran an experiment to see how this prior training with reward influences their search on a subsequent task with different flowers. We used the time spent inspecting flowers as a measure of attention and found that learning increased attention to rewards and away from distractors. Higher quality rewards led to decreased attention to non-flower regions, but lower quality rewards did not. Prior experience of lower rewards also led to more attention to higher rewards compared to distractors and non-flower regions. Our results suggest that flowers would elicit differences in bee search behaviour depending on the sugar content of their nectar. They also demonstrate the utility of studying visual search and have important implications for understanding the pollination ecology of flowers with different qualities of reward.Significance StatementStudies investigating how foraging bees learn about reward typically focus on the choices made by the bees. How bees deploy attention and visual search during foraging is less well studied. We analysed flight videos to characterise visual search as bees learn which flowers are rewarding. We found that learning increases the focus of bees on flower regions. We also found that the quality of the reward a flower offers influences how much bees search in non-flower areas. This means that a flower with lower reward attracts less focussed foraging compared to one with a higher reward. Since flowers do differ in floral reward, this has important implications for how focussed pollinators will be on different flowers. Our approach of looking at search behaviour and attention thus advances our understanding of the cognitive ecology of pollination.

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“…Praying mantids (class Insecta, order Mantodea) are a group of predatory insects comprising approximately 2500 described species (Anderson, 2022 ; Otte et al, 2022 ) and are present in all continents, except Antarctica, with the greatest species diversity in tropical and subtropical regions (Foottit & Adler, 2018 ; Prete et al, 1999 ). Between species, praying mantids display a myriad of hunting tactics spanning from active hunting strategies to ambushing prey (Pickard et al, 2021 ). Praying mantids catch their prey using a pair of front legs modified into raptorial limbs equipped with spines (Loxton & Nicholls, 1979 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunistic depredation of songbird nestlings by female praying mantids (Mantodea: Mantidae)

Kolnegari¹,

Fasano

Zareie³

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Praying mantids (class Insecta, order Mantodea) are a group of predatory insects comprising approximately 2500 described species, that occur across all continents except Antarctica, with the greatest species diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. Mantids predominantly prey on other invertebrates but are known to feed on small vertebrates. During April and May 2021, we observed mantid feeding events in Manujan County, Kerman Province in southern Iran. Two distinct feeding events were observed where female European Mantids ( Mantis religiosa ) preyed on Purple Sunbird ( Cinnyris asiaticus ) and Crested Lark ( Galerida cristata ) nestlings. In addition, we collated information from online searches of mantids feeding on nestlings elsewhere in the world, revealing two more observations. In Taiwan, a Giant Asian Mantid ( Hierodula patellifera ) was recorded preying on a nestling Warbling White‐eye ( Zosterops japonicus ) and in Brazil, a mantid ( Stagmatoptera sp.) was recorded feeding on a nestling White‐throated Seedeater ( Sporophila albogularis ). To date, the only existing scientific evidence of praying mantids feeding on passerine nestlings was recorded in 1922. We propose two potential explanations for the observed trophic interactions between mantids and passerine nestlings: (1) during egg production female mantids, especially those in poor physical condition, may opportunistically feed on nestlings in order to increase fecundity via nutrient gain and (2) mantids may initially be attracted toward the nest by parasitic or coprophagous insects, as a result of poor nest sanitation, and subsequently prey on nestlings after detecting movements. Our unusual observations represent the first records of praying mantids feeding on nestling passerines in nearly 100 years.

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Internal state effects on behavioral shifts in freely behaving praying mantises (Tenodera sinensis)

Cited by 6 publications

References 62 publications

Learning modifies attention during bumblebee visual search

Learning modifies attention during bumblebee visual search

Learning modifies attention during bumblebee visual search

Opportunistic depredation of songbird nestlings by female praying mantids (Mantodea: Mantidae)

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