Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers
Learning and memory are fundamental processes, influencing animal foraging behaviour and fitness success. Evaluating food nutritional quality, particularly of proteins and essential amino acids, involves complex sensory mechanisms. While olfactory cues have been extensively studied, less is known ab...
| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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The Company of Biologists
2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21199 https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-abstract/228/1/JEB247211/364921/Chemotactile-perception-and-associative-learning?redirectedFrom=fulltext https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247211 |
| _version_ | 1855486716298657792 |
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| author | Mattiacci, Analia Pietrantuono, Ana Laura Corley, Juan Carlos Masciocchi, Maite |
| author_browse | Corley, Juan Carlos Masciocchi, Maite Mattiacci, Analia Pietrantuono, Ana Laura |
| author_facet | Mattiacci, Analia Pietrantuono, Ana Laura Corley, Juan Carlos Masciocchi, Maite |
| author_sort | Mattiacci, Analia |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Learning and memory are fundamental processes, influencing animal foraging behaviour and fitness success. Evaluating food nutritional quality, particularly of proteins and essential amino acids, involves complex sensory mechanisms. While olfactory cues have been extensively studied, less is known about proteinaceous chemoreception, especially in invertebrates. Vespula germanica, a globally invasive social wasp species, relies heavily on foraging efficiency and nutritional assessment for colony success. Previous studies have highlighted their associative learning abilities in natural settings, but their cognitive capabilities under laboratory conditions still need to be explored. We investigated the perceptual and learning abilities of V. germanica concerning amino acids using a maxilla–labium extension response (MaLER) conditioning protocol. We aimed to determine whether these wasps can (1) perceive specific amino acids through antennal chemoreception, (2) perform associative learning with amino acids, (3) discriminate between stimuli of varying molecular and nutritional profiles, and (4) generalize among similar stimuli. Our results suggest that V. germanica can detect free amino acids and exhibit associative learning toward them. They can discriminate between amino acids with different profiles and do not generalize among similar compounds. These findings indicate that V. germanica foragers can qualitatively evaluate amino acid solutions, which translates into a natural ability to discern and learn from food sources with varying nutritional qualities. This knowledge could enhance management strategies for this invasive species, which rely on poisoned beef-based baits. Understanding the sensory and cognitive capabilities of V. germanica provides a foundation for developing more effective control methods. |
| format | Artículo |
| id | INTA21199 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | The Company of Biologists |
| publisherStr | The Company of Biologists |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA211992025-02-12T10:53:03Z Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers Mattiacci, Analia Pietrantuono, Ana Laura Corley, Juan Carlos Masciocchi, Maite Vespidae Vespula germanica Amino Acids Sensory Receptors Aminoácidos Receptor Sensorial Avispas Avispa Chaqueta Amarilla Wasps Learning and memory are fundamental processes, influencing animal foraging behaviour and fitness success. Evaluating food nutritional quality, particularly of proteins and essential amino acids, involves complex sensory mechanisms. While olfactory cues have been extensively studied, less is known about proteinaceous chemoreception, especially in invertebrates. Vespula germanica, a globally invasive social wasp species, relies heavily on foraging efficiency and nutritional assessment for colony success. Previous studies have highlighted their associative learning abilities in natural settings, but their cognitive capabilities under laboratory conditions still need to be explored. We investigated the perceptual and learning abilities of V. germanica concerning amino acids using a maxilla–labium extension response (MaLER) conditioning protocol. We aimed to determine whether these wasps can (1) perceive specific amino acids through antennal chemoreception, (2) perform associative learning with amino acids, (3) discriminate between stimuli of varying molecular and nutritional profiles, and (4) generalize among similar stimuli. Our results suggest that V. germanica can detect free amino acids and exhibit associative learning toward them. They can discriminate between amino acids with different profiles and do not generalize among similar compounds. These findings indicate that V. germanica foragers can qualitatively evaluate amino acid solutions, which translates into a natural ability to discern and learn from food sources with varying nutritional qualities. This knowledge could enhance management strategies for this invasive species, which rely on poisoned beef-based baits. Understanding the sensory and cognitive capabilities of V. germanica provides a foundation for developing more effective control methods. EEA Bariloche Fil: Mattiacci, Analia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche. Grupo de Ecología y Poblaciones de Insectos; Argentina Fil: Mattiacci, Analia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Pietrantuono, Ana Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche. Grupo de Ecología y Poblaciones de Insectos; Argentina Fil: Pietrantuono, Ana Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche. Grupo de Ecología y Poblaciones de Insectos; Argentina Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Universidad Nacional Del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Departamento de Ecología; Argentina Fil: Masciocchi, Maite. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche (IFAB). Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos; Argentina Fil: Masciocchi, Maite. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina 2025-02-12T10:49:24Z 2025-02-12T10:49:24Z 2025-01 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21199 https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-abstract/228/1/JEB247211/364921/Chemotactile-perception-and-associative-learning?redirectedFrom=fulltext 0022-0949 1477-9145 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247211 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf The Company of Biologists Journal of Experimental Biology 228 (1) : JEB247211. (2025) |
| spellingShingle | Vespidae Vespula germanica Amino Acids Sensory Receptors Aminoácidos Receptor Sensorial Avispas Avispa Chaqueta Amarilla Wasps Mattiacci, Analia Pietrantuono, Ana Laura Corley, Juan Carlos Masciocchi, Maite Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers |
| title | Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers |
| title_full | Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers |
| title_fullStr | Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers |
| title_short | Chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers |
| title_sort | chemotactile perception and associative learning of amino acids in yellowjacket workers |
| topic | Vespidae Vespula germanica Amino Acids Sensory Receptors Aminoácidos Receptor Sensorial Avispas Avispa Chaqueta Amarilla Wasps |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21199 https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-abstract/228/1/JEB247211/364921/Chemotactile-perception-and-associative-learning?redirectedFrom=fulltext https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247211 |
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