specialized learning in antlions (neuroptera myrmeleontidae), pit-digging predators, shortens vulnerable larval stage专业学习蚁蛉(脉翅目蚁蛉科),pit-digging捕食者,缩短脆弱的幼虫阶段.pdfVIP

Specialized Learning in Antlions (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Pit-Digging Predators, Shortens Vulnerable Larval Stage 1 1 1¤a 1¤b 2 Karen L. Hollis *, Heather Cogswell , Kenzie Snyder , Lauren M. Guillette , Elise Nowbahari 1 Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience Behavior and Department of Psychology, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States of America, ´ ´ ´ ´ 2 Laboratoire d’Ethologie Experimentale et Comparee, EA 4443, Universite Paris 13, Villetaneuse, France Abstract Unique in the insect world for their extremely sedentary predatory behavior, pit-dwelling larval antlions dig pits, and then sit at the bottom and wait, sometimes for months, for prey to fall inside. This sedentary predation strategy, combined with their seemingly innate ability to detect approaching prey, make antlions unlikely candidates for learning. That is, although scientists have demonstrated that many species of insects possess the capacity to learn, each of these species, which together represent multiple families from every major insect order, utilizes this ability as a means of navigating the environment, using learned cues to guide an active search for food and hosts, or to avoid noxious events. Nonetheless, we demonstrate not only that sedentary antlions can learn, but also, more importantly, that learning provides an important fitness benefit, namely decreasing the time to pupate, a benefit not yet demonstrated in any other species. Compared to a ` control