COGNITIVE APPROACH OF SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL INFORMATION-PROCESSING IN INSECTS

Within the theoretical framework of adaptive significance, it is often claimed that insects learn just what they are genetically programmed to learn. Consequently, because of the alleged lack of plasticity of t heir behaviour, many learning tests applied to insects are limited to very simple associative Stimulus-Response research paradigms. If the b ehaviouristic approach can explain most of the behavioural responses o f insect species facing very simple situations, behaviour requires oth er strategies for learning and memorizing environmental information in species confronting complex and variable ecological conditions, as it is the case for many hymenoptera species. Among them, forager ants Ca taglyphis cursor can discriminate, select, store and represent spatial information within a few days, allowing them to locate their remote n est in a highly controlled visual environment. They can learn somethin g about the spatial arrangement of the landmarks configuration and acc urately home even in the absence of the main visual stimulus associate d to this place. Ectatomma ruidum ants are also capable to store joint ly spatial and temporal information in order to schedule their feeding behaviour. Thus, the representational format of spatial and temporal memories in some insect species appears to be more subtle than is gene rally assumed when compared to other animal species.