Learning in Insects

Learning encroaches upon virtually every aspect of the natural history of an insect. Where it has been investigated in insects, it has typically been found. Most of what is known about learning in insects comes from studies on the social Hymenoptera. For example, honeybees, Apis mellifera, have been shown to learn to use both flower color and shape as a way to increase their foraging efficiency for nectar and pollen, and foraging workers of the desert ant, Cataglyphis fortis, have been shown to associate directional information with landmarks. More recently, as researchers turn their attention to other insects, particularly phytophagous ones, the wider occurrence of the phenomenon is being appreciated. For instance, numerous studies have demonstrated that learning in grasshoppers is a mechanism that is commonly used to help regulate the intake of important macro- and micronutrients. However, the small size of insect brains and central nervous systems may place a limit on what and how m ...