Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Wageningen University & Research, Experimental Zoology WIAS, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
BMC Ecol Evol. 2024 May 11;24(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12862-024-02251-0.
Foraging behavior in insects is optimised for locating scattered resources in a complex environment. This behavior can be exploited for use in pest control. Inhibition of feeding can protect crops whereas stimulation can increase the uptake of insecticides. For example, the success of a bait spray, depends on either contact or ingestion, and thus on the insect finding it.
To develop an effective bait spray against the invasive pest, Drosophila suzukii, we investigated aspects of foraging behavior that influence the likelihood that the pest interacts with the baits, in summer and winter morphotypes. We video-recorded the flies' approach behavior towards four stimuli in a two-choice experiment on strawberry leaflets. To determine the most effective bait positioning, we also assessed where on plants the pest naturally forages, using a potted raspberry plant under natural environmental conditions. We also studied starvation resistance at 20 °C and 12 °C for both morphs.
We found that summer morph flies spent similar time on all baits (agar, combi-protec, yeast) whereas winter morphs spent more time on yeast than the other baits. Both morphs showed a preference to feed at the top of our plant's canopy. Colder temperatures enhanced survival under starvation conditions in both morphs, and mortality was reduced by food treatment.
These findings on feeding behavior support informed decisions on the type and placement of a bait to increase pest control.
昆虫的觅食行为是为了在复杂环境中找到分散的资源而优化的。这种行为可以被利用来进行害虫防治。抑制取食可以保护作物，而刺激取食可以增加杀虫剂的吸收。例如，诱饵喷雾的成功取决于接触或摄入，因此取决于昆虫是否发现它。
为了开发一种针对入侵害虫果蝇的有效诱饵喷雾，我们研究了影响害虫与诱饵相互作用可能性的觅食行为方面，包括夏季和冬季两种形态。我们在草莓叶片上的双选择实验中，用视频记录了苍蝇对四种刺激物的接近行为。为了确定最有效的诱饵定位，我们还评估了害虫在自然环境条件下的盆栽覆盆子植物上自然觅食的位置。我们还研究了两种形态在 20°C 和 12°C 下的抗饥饿能力。
我们发现夏季形态的苍蝇在所有诱饵（琼脂、复合保护剂、酵母）上花费的时间相似，而冬季形态的苍蝇在酵母上花费的时间多于其他诱饵。两种形态都表现出在植物冠层顶部取食的偏好。较低的温度在两种形态下都增强了饥饿条件下的生存能力，而食物处理降低了死亡率。
这些关于取食行为的发现支持了在增加害虫防治方面关于诱饵类型和放置的明智决策。
