Learning affects prey selection in larvae of a generalist coccinellid predator

Abstract

Under natural conditions, generalist predatory insects have to cope with a variety of potential prey species that are not all equally suitable. Under these circumstances, learning may be adaptive if it allows adjustment to variations in resource quality and availability. Under laboratory conditions, we examined the learning ability and memory in the prey selection process of larvae of the predatory coccinellid Coleomegilla maculata ssp. lengi Timberlake (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Using choice tests, we studied prey rejection behaviour of C. maculata fourth instars towards prey of different quality and we also tested the influence of hunger and prior experience with other food types on the prey rejection behaviour of coccinellid larvae. Coleomegilla maculata larvae gradually changed their behaviour and rejected low‐quality hosts more frequently, whereas high‐quality hosts were nearly always accepted. After 48 h, the learned behaviour appeared to be partially forgotten. Hunger and experience with other food types prior to the test had little effect on the gradual change of behaviour but the quality of the food ingested influenced the initial level of prey rejection. Our results demonstrate that (1) C. maculata larvae can adjust their prey selection behaviour with experience to reject progressively less suitable prey, and (2) previous experience with other prey types can influence their initial preference.

Food Relationships

“…These important results relate to the question posed recently by Pasteels (2007) : ' To what degree are ladybird responses to various cues innate or learned? ' Also coccinellid larvae can learn: rejection of lower quality prey (parasitized old versus non -parasitized young lepidopteran eggs) by fourth instars of Col. maculata gradually increased at subsequent encounters (Boivin et al 2010 ). This learned behaviour was partly forgotten after 48 hours.…”

Do naive juvenile seabirds forage differently from adults?

“…In particular, learning of foraging techniques during immaturity has been studied in primates [10], bears [11], dolphins [12], seabirds [3,13,14], and insects (e.g. [15]). The study of learning behaviours during immaturity raises important questions about innate and learned behaviours, and the evolutionary [16], social [17] and memorization [9] processes involved.…”

“…The study of learning behaviours during immaturity raises important questions about innate and learned behaviours, and the evolutionary [16], social [17] and memorization [9] processes involved. Learning processes can result from individual experience [3,14,15] or can also imply a transfer of information between conspecifics: this is generally considered as 'social learning' [10 -12].…”

Alterations in foraging behavior of Coccinella septempunctata and Propylea japonica mediated by a novel defended prey affect their predatory potential

“…lengi Timberlake on a mixed diet of high-and low-quality food (Boivin et al, 2010). However, after 4 h they had switched their preference to the more suitable prey aphid, M. crassicauda.…”