Evidence of associative blocking during foraging in the social wasp Vespula germanica

SABRINA MOREYRA; PAOLA D´ADAMO; LOZADA, MARIANA

INSECT SCIENCE

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2020

1672-9609

While foraging Vespula germanica usually return to abundant food sites.During this relocalization behavior, wasps learn to identify contextualcues associated with food position. In the present study, we analyzedassociative blocking in this species, i.e., how an association with aconditioned stimulus (CS1) blocks subsequent learning when a novelstimulus (CS2) is added on a second foraging visit. Three experiments(Group A, B and C) were carried out with 74 wasps, which wereevaluated while collecting food during one or two consecutive visits. InGroup A, an environmental cue (CS1) was paired up with food placed ata certain site, and on the subsequent visit, a second cue (CS2) wasadded while food remained in the same position. On the testing phase,the contextual cue (CS1) was removed, and the food source displacednearby. We then recorded the number of hovers performed over theempty dish (previously baited). Our results showed that wasps ignoredthe addition of CS2 on their second visit (Group A) since they performedfewer hovers over the learned site than when CS1 and CS2 werepresented together on their first visit (Group B). The current work is thefirst study to demonstrate the occurrence of associative blocking invespids, confirming that a prior foraging experience influencessubsequent food relocalization in these social wasps. Our findings revealthat first learning episodes block further associations of novel contextualcues. This evidence might contribute to the understanding of thecomplex foraging cognitive processes in V. germanica.