R. Beckers et al., THE INFLUENCE OF OLFACTORY CONDITIONING ON FOOD PREFERENCE IN THE ANTLASIUS-NIGER (L), Ethology, ecology and evolution, 6(2), 1994, pp. 159-167
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.