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Associative Learning and Memory in Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera, Thripidae)

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Abstract

Miniaturization leads to significant changes in the structure of the insect brain. The question of how these changes affect brain functioning is of great interest for understanding the evolution of the brain and cognitive characteristics in animals. Learning ability was previously described for several microinsect species, but comparative analysis of these cases is difficult due to the variable testing conditions. We developed a setup based on the Morris water maze design for aversive training of various miniature insects using visual stimuli. This setup was used to study the behavior of Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), and the ability for associative learning and memory formation was demonstrated in thrips for the first time.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to Lomonosov Moscow State University students Z. Adaeva, A. Dolgov, N. Motorin, A. Rosinskaya, and A. Melnikova for help in conducting the experiments.

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project 19-74-10019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234, Moscow, Russia

    M. A. Fedorova, S. E. Farisenkov, A. V. Timokhov & A. A. Polilov

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  1. M. A. Fedorova
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  2. S. E. Farisenkov
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  3. A. V. Timokhov
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  4. A. A. Polilov
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Correspondence to M. A. Fedorova.

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Statement on the welfare of animals. All the applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All the procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution or practice at which the studies were conducted.

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Fedorova, M.A., Farisenkov, S.E., Timokhov, A.V. et al. Associative Learning and Memory in Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Entmol. Rev. 102, 769–781 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873822060021

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