How does an invasive social wasp deal with changing contextual cues while foraging?

LOZADA, M.; D'ADAMO, P.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOC AMER

Año: 2009 vol. 38 p. 803 - 808

0046-225X

In the present study we explore how an invasive social wasp, Vespula germanica (F.), deals with contextual changes while searching for a food source which is no longer available. Four experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of different degrees of context modification on wasp behavior. Learning sessions consisted of a variable number of feeding trials during which an individual wasp fed from a landmark array made up of a feeder surrounded by four cylinders of the same color.  The food and cylinders were subsequently removed from the training site, and this learned landmark array was then modified in such a way that information relating to color and/or location of the resulting feeding arrays varied from that previously learned. The results indicate that the color most recently associated with food is prioritized over a formerly learned color, and this pattern is also maintained when wasps have learnt the alternative color during a higher number of feeding experiences. This highlights the high plasticity with which V. germanica responds to unpredictable contextual changes while foraging