Adaptive learning of host preference in a herbivorous arthropod

Although many publications deal with the effects of experience on behaviour , adaptive learning (i.e. behavioural change with experience resulting in i mproved reproductive success) is poorly documented. We present direct evide nce that learning of host preference improves fitness in the herbivorous mi te, Tetranychus urticae. Individual mites from two strains were repeatedly given a choice between two host plants, tomato and cucumber, and then subje cted to a performance test on each. For both strains, food experience affec ted the subsequent choice: individual mites learned to prefer cucumber over tomato. The performance test showed this effect to be adaptive, as the foo d plant the mites learned to prefer (cucumber) allowed for increased ovipos ition, survival and development. These findings have important implications for the interpretation of the preference-performance relationship among he rbivorous arthropods. The frequently reported absence of such a relationshi p may be due to experience-dependent preference and/or performance.