The role of pre- and post-imaginal experience in the host-finding and oviposition behaviour of the cabbage moth.

摘要

The influence of pre- and post-imaginal experience on the orientation, landing, and oviposition of females of Mamestra brassicae was studied in a wind tunnel. Females' responses to host plants were not affected by the plant species used for feedingthe larvae. The females were initially attracted to and landed on chrysanthemum whether or not they were fed on this plant species. In addition, the oviposition preference for cabbage plants was not changed by the larval feeding regimen. Imaginal experience influenced the females' subsequent orientation/landing responses: exposure of the females to chrysanthemum plants for 5 min decreased their subsequent responses to this species, but subsequent responses to cabbage were not changed when the females were exposed to cabbage plants. Overnight exposure of females to a chrysanthemum or cabbage plant decreased the subsequent orientation/landing on the same species offered in non-choice tests. A similar effect was observed in responses to chrysanthemum plants after overnight contact, and possibly to cabbage plants, in the two-choice tests. Overnight exposure to cabbage or chrysanthemum had no effect on subsequent oviposition: females from both treatments oviposited more often on cabbage.