Sedentary antlion larvae (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) use vibrational cues to modify their foraging strategies

Abstract

Learning abilities are exhibited by many animals, including insects. However, sedentary species are typically believed to have low capacities and requirements for learning. Despite this view, recent studies show that even such inconspicuous organisms as larval antlions, which employ an ambush predation strategy, are capable of learning, although their learning abilities are rather simple, i.e., limited to the association of vibrational cues with the arrival of prey. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that antlion larvae can use vibrational cues for complex modifications of their foraging strategies. Specifically, antlion larvae rapidly learn to differentiate between the vibrational cues associated with prey of different sizes, and they save resources by ignoring smaller prey in favour of larger, more energetically profitable prey. Moreover, antlion larvae can learn to associate vibrational cues with the loss of their prey, and they respond by burying their victims under the sand more often and more rapidly than do individuals with no opportunities to form such associations. These findings provide not only new insights into the cognitive abilities of animals but also support for the optimal foraging strategy concept, suggesting the importance of maximizing fitness output by balancing the costs and benefits of alternative foraging strategies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10071-016-1000-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Larval antlions show a cognitive ability/hunting efficiency trade-off connected with the level of behavioural asymmetry

“…Our results are consistent with previous reports that antlions can associate vibrations with environmental events (Guillette et al 2009; Hollis et al 2011; Kuszewska et al 2016) and that those with pronounced behavioural asymmetry possess superior cognitive skills (Miler et al 2017); here, this latter phenomenon was demonstrated with a novel task (i.e., hunting readiness as opposed to prey burial in the previous study). The hypothesis that behavioural asymmetry conveys fitness advantages, especially in a cognitive context, is gaining experimental support (Güntürkün et al 2000; Magat and Brown 2009), but the evidence is still scarce for invertebrate species.…”

“…In predatory species, the detection of stimuli that co-occur with prey encounters, such as visual cues, enable the anticipation of prey arrival, thus increasing capture success. In antlions, vibrational cues correlated with prey arrival can be learned and used to modify foraging strategy in adaptive ways (Kuszewska et al 2016 ), so these organisms should be selected for more efficient learning and thus greater fitness. However, only 24% of Myrmeleon bore antlions originating from a single population in Poland were reported to show increased levels of behavioural asymmetry, which, as mentioned above, correlates with their enhanced cognitive performance (Miler et al 2017 ).…”

Ants Co-Occurring with Predatory Antlions Show Unsuccessful Rescue Behavior towards Captured Nestmates

“…The uniqueness of this foraging strategy has long attracted attention to antlions, which possess several traits that make them seemingly efficient predators (Miler et al 2017a). These traits include strong mandibles used for injecting paralytics (Matsuda et al 1995;Nishiwaki et al 2007), high vibration sensitivity that helps them detect approaching prey (Devetak et al 2007;Fertin and Casas 2007) and learning abilities that allow them to improve foraging strategies (Kuszewska et al 2016;Miler et al 2017b). However, the diet of antlions is not well known, mostly mentioned anecdotally in studies on other questions (Heinrich and Heinrich 1984;Matsura 1986Matsura , 1987Cain 1987;Gotelli 1996;Morrison 2004;Barkae et al 2017;Jingu and Hayashi 2018).…”

Biotremology in arthropods

“…Some sand-dwelling invertebrates, such as desert scorpions and antlion larvae, use substrate-borne vibrations in predatorprey interactions (Brownell & Farley, 1979Devetak, 2014;Kuszewska, Miler, Filipiak, & Woyciechowski, 2016;Mansell, 1996Mansell, , 1999Podlesnik, Klokočovnik, Lorent, & Devetak, 2019;Scharf, Lubin, & Ovadia, 2011). Experiments on the antlion species Euroleon nostras proved that vibrational stimuli produced by prey (Lasius fuliginosus ants) on the surface of the sand lead the antlions, which are located in deeper sand layers, to move towards the surface (Podlesnik et al, 2019).…”