Microsoft Word - 86792503-file00.docx

We investigated whether adult fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) use cues of larvae as social 2 6 information in their food patch choice decisions. Adult male and female fruit flies showed 2 7 attraction to odours emanating from foraging larvae, and females preferred to lay eggs on food 2 8 patches occupied by larvae over similar unoccupied patches. Females learned and subsequently 2 9 preferred to lay eggs at patches with novel flavours previously associated with feeding larvae 3 0 over patches with novel flavours previously associated with no larvae. However, when we 3 1 controlled for the duration of exposure to each flavoured patch, females no longer preferred the 3 2 flavour previously associated with feeding larvae. This suggests that social learning in this 3 3 context is indirect, due to strong social attraction biasing experience.