Aversive Learning in the Praying Mantis (Tenodera aridifolia), a Sit and Wait Predator.

ABSTRACT: Animals learn to associate sensory cues with the palatability of food in order to avoid bitterness in food (a common sign of toxicity). Associations are important for active foraging predators to avoid unpalatable prey and to invest energy in searching for palatable prey only. However, it has been suggested that sit-and-wait predators might rely on the opportunity that palatable prey approach them by chance: the most efficient strategy could be to catch every available prey and then decide whether to ingest them or not. In the present study, we investigated avoidance learning in a sit-and-wait predator, the praying mantis (Tenodera aridifolia). To examine the effects of conspicuousness and novelty of prey on avoidance learning, we used three different prey species: mealworms (novel prey),

SUBMITTER: Carle T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5882761 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature