Influence of handling and conditioning protocol on learning and memory of Microplitis croceipes
نویسنده
چکیده
Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) learns odors in association with both hosts and food. The food-associated ‘seeking’ behavior of M. croceipes was investigated under various training protocols utilizing the conditioning odor, 3-octanone. We investigated the effects of odor training, or its lack, training duration, training frequency, time elapsed after training, wasp hunger state, and training reinforcement, on the food-seeking responses of M. croceipes females. We found that odor-trained females show strong food seeking responses, whereas non-odor-trained females do not respond to the odor, and that a single 10 s association with the odor whilst feeding on sugar water subsequently conditioned the wasps to exhibiting significant responses to it. Increases in training time to more than 10 s did not improve their responses. Repetition of the food–odor associations increased a wasp’s recall, as well as its response over time, compared to a single exposure. Repeated exposure to the learned odor in the absence of a food reward decreased the responses of less hungry individuals. However, the level of response increased significantly following a single reinforcement with the 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.
منابع مشابه
Use of a Parasitic Wasp as a Biosensor
Screening cargo for illicit substances is in need of rapid high-throughput inspection systems that accurately identify suspicious cargo. Here we investigate the ability of a parasitic wasp, Microplitis croceipes to detect and respond to methyl benzoate, the volatile component of cocaine, by examining their response to training concentrations, their sensitivity at low concentrations, and their a...
متن کاملEffects of Electromagnetic Fields with Frequencies Lower Than 50 Hz and Intensity of 50 μT on Learning and Memory
Introduction: Biological effects of magnetic fields have been investigated by scientists for many years and a vast amount of research using different frequencies and intensities have been performed on humans and laboratory animals. The results of these studies, which have mostly been done by applying high frequencies, have shown that electromagnetic fields are effective on structure and functio...
متن کاملPropranolol–induced Impairment of Contextual Fear Memory Reconsolidation in Rats: A Similar Effect on Weak and Strong Recent and Remote Memories
Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated that the &beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol impairs fear memory reconsolidation in experimental animals. There are experimental parameters such as the age and the strength of memory that can interact with pharmacological manipulations of memory reconsolidation. In this study, we investigated the ability of the age and the strength o...
متن کاملEffects of Maternal Separation on Nicotine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference and Later Spatial Learning and Memory Function in Adolescent Male Rats
Background: Disturbances in maternal care have been associated with increased risk for drug abuse later in life. However, there has been little investigation of the effects of maternal separation (MS), a model of early life stress, on nicotine dependence, specifically during adolescence. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of MS on nicotine-conditioned place preference (CPP...
متن کامل