ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Learning Behavior of Sclerodermus sichuanensis
Xiao: Habitual Responses and Cumulative Effects
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1
College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
2
College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2023-06-22
Final revision date: 2023-09-12
Acceptance date: 2023-09-22
Online publication date: 2024-01-09
Publication date: 2024-02-28
Corresponding author
Wei Yang
College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Hua Yang
College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(3):2027-2036
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ABSTRACT
Sclerodermus sichuanensis Xiao is an important natural enemy of forest boring pests. We used
a two-way selection test to investigate the behavioral mechanisms used by S. sichuanensis when
searching for hosts. Y-tube olfactometers and electroantennogram recordings were used to study
learning by S. sichuanensis exposed continuously or discontinuously to a mixture of longhorn
beetle (Anoplophora chinensis Forster) fecula and wood meal, and to mixtures of A. chinensis fecula
and wood meal from different trees, either successively or simultaneously. Following exposure of
4-day-old adult S. sichuanensis to a mixture of A. chinensis fecula and wood meal for 3 d, tropism
toward this odor did not improve significantly. After discontinuous exposure to a mixture of A. chinensis
fecula and wood meal, adult S. sichuanensis exhibited a habitual response and its tropism to this
odor decreased markedly. Five-day-old female S. sichuanensis that previously experienced a mixture
of A. chinensis fecula and wood meal from two different host trees (willows, Salix sp., and oriental
parasol, Platanus orientalis) or a mixture of A. chinensis fecula and wood meal (willows) during the
eclosion period and were then stimulated by the mixture of A. chinensis fecula and wood meal (oriental
parasol) at 4 days old exhibited a relatively strong behavioral reaction to mixed stimulation by the two
types of substrate information. These observations suggest that the learning behavior of S. sichuanensis
is cumulative. The parasitoid can differentiate between two kinds of chemical information experienced
simultaneously and recognize the two odors when they are experienced successively. This discovery
is important for elucidating the behavioral mechanisms of learning in parasitoids and for the development
and application of natural enemy insects for pest control.