|
| |
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
First published online November 24, 2003
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 87-94 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00733
Learning, odour preference and flower foraging in moths
1 Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Queensland, St Lucia,
Brisbane 4072, Australia
2 Department of Primary Industries, Yeerongpilly, Brisbane 4105,
Australia
3 I.C.A.P.B., University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: p.cunningham{at}uq.edu.au)
Accepted 30 September 2003
Floral volatiles play a major role in plant–insect communication. We
examined the influence of two volatiles, phenylacetaldehyde and
-pinene, on the innate and learnt foraging behaviour of the moth
Helicoverpa armigera. In dual-choice wind tunnel tests, adult moths
flew upwind towards both volatiles, with a preference for phenylacetaldehyde.
When exposure to either of these volatiles was paired with a feeding stimulus
(sucrose), all moths preferred the learnt odour in the preference test. This
change in preference was not seen when moths were exposed to the odour without
a feeding stimulus. The learnt preference for the odour was reduced when moths
were left unfed for 24 h before the preference test.
We tested whether moths could discriminate between flowers that differed in
a single volatile component. Moths were trained to feed on flowers that were
odour-enhanced using either phenylacetaldehyde or -pinene. Choice tests
were then carried out in an outdoor flight cage, using flowers enhanced with
either volatile. Moths showed a significant preference for the flower type on
which they were trained. Moths that were conditioned on flowers that were not
odour-enhanced showed no preference for either of the odour-enhanced flower
types. The results imply that moths may be discriminating among odour profiles
of individual flowers from the same species. We discuss this behaviour within
the context of nectar foraging in moths and odour signalling by flowering
plants.
Key words: Lepidoptera, phenylacetaldehyde, -pinene, wind tunnel, volatiles, insect, preference, feeding
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati 
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  I. Kandori, T. Yamaki, S.-i. Okuyama, N. Sakamoto, and T. Yokoi Interspecific and intersexual learning rate differences in four butterfly species J. Exp. Biol., December 1, 2009; 212(23): 3810 - 3816. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Balkenius, A. Kelber, and C. Balkenius How Do Hawkmoths Learn Multimodal Stimuli? A Comparison of Three Models Adaptive Behavior, December 1, 2008; 16(6): 349 - 360. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. P. Cunningham, C. J Moore, M. P Zalucki, and B. W Cribb Insect odour perception: recognition of odour components by flower foraging moths Proc R Soc B, August 22, 2006; 273(1597): 2035 - 2040. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Rostelien, M. Stranden, A.-K. Borg-Karlson, and H. Mustaparta Olfactory Receptor Neurons in Two Heliothine Moth Species Responding Selectively to Aliphatic Green Leaf Volatiles, Aromatic Compounds, Monoterpenes and Sesquiterpenes of Plant Origin Chem Senses, June 1, 2005; 30(5): 443 - 461. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. T. Skiri, M. Stranden, J. C. Sandoz, R. Menzel, and H. Mustaparta Associative learning of plant odorants activating the same or different receptor neurones in the moth Heliothis virescens J. Exp. Biol., February 15, 2005; 208(4): 787 - 796. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
