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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #147679
Title: INFLUENCE OF HANDLING AND CONDITIONING PROTOCOL ON LEARNING AND MEMORY OF MICROPLITIS CROCEIPES (CRESSON) (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE)

Author
item TERTULIANO, M - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Olson, Dawn
item RAINS, G - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Lewis, Wallace

Submitted to: Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2003
Publication Date: 1/1/2004
Citation: Tertuliano, M., Olson, D.M., Rains, G.C., Lewis, W.J. 2004. Influence of handling and conditioning protocol on learning and memory of Microplitis croceipes. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 110:165-172.

Interpretive Summary: The optimal training protocol and age of females for flight or a more long-range foraging behavior of the parasitic wasps, Microplitis croceipes, after food associated conditioning was previously determined. However, the effect of hunger state on short-range behavioral responses, such as area restricted search or ovipositor probing, over time and the factors affecting learning and memory of short-range foraging cues by this species is not known. Herein, we investigated the affects of duration of exposure to odor and food, frequency, of odor and food exposure, wasp hunger state, and training reinforcement on food-associated seeking responses. Seeking responses are a modification of area restricted search behavior, whereby trained wasps will enter a small hole where the learned odor emanates. We determined that a single 10s association with odor while feeding on sugar water conditioned wasps to exhibit significant responses to the odor. Increases in training time longer than 10s did not improve responses. Repetition of the food-odor associations increased memory and a wasp's response over time compared to a single exposure. Repeated exposure to the learned odor in the absence of a food reward decreased the responses by less hungry individuals. However, the response level significantly rebounded with a single reinforcement food-odor association. The distinct short-range foraging behaviors of parasitoids along with an understanding of the factors that influence their learning can enhance our ability to predict foraging behaviors and opens up avenues for the development of effective biological detectors.

Technical Abstract: The parasitic wasp, Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), learns to associate odors with their host and food resources. A food-associated "seeking" behavior, whereby odor-trained wasps enter a hole where the learned odor emanates, was investigated under various training protocols to determine factors that influence learning by these species. Utilizing the conditioning odor, 3-octanone, we investigated the affects of training duration, training frequency, time elapsed after training, wasp hunger state, and training reinforcement on the seeking responses of M. croceipes females. We determined that a single 10s association with odor while feeding on sugar water conditioned wasps to exhibit significant responses to the odor. Increases in training time longer than 10s did not improve responses. Repetition of the food-odor associations increased memory and a wasp's response over time compared to a single exposure. Repeated exposure to the learned odor in the absence of a food reward decreased the responses by less hungry individuals. However, the response level significantly rebounded with a single reinforcement food-odor association. Understanding the factors that influence learning in parasitoids can enhance our ability to predict their foraging behavior and opens up avenues for the development of effective biological detectors.