THE INFLUENCE OF OLFACTORY CONDITIONING ON FOOD PREFERENCE IN THE ANTLASIUS-NIGER (L)

This investigation shows that olfactory learning can be involved with food identification. An experimentally induced food preference can be obtained by presenting a scented food to newly hatched workers of Lasi us niger (L.) (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Ten colonies were followed fro m their foundation. From the emergence of the first workers, the colon ies were fed with a flavoured (anise) sugar solution (0.5M sucrose) du ring 1 month. After 3 months of hibernation without food, the colonies were submitted to a choice test. The preference for the scented food indicates the existence of a ''pre-hibernal learning'' process with lo ng term effects. Older foundations which were exposed to the flavoured food after the 3 months hibernation period preferred the known food, but the preference was less strong than that shown by the first group. Finally, mature workers from adult colonies, submitted to the same tr eatment, did not respond to the olfactory cues and exhibited no food p reference. These results suggest the existence of an early learning pe riod for food odour.