Polistes dominula spatial learning abilities while foraging

Abstract

The eusocial “paper wasp” Polistes dominula is an invasive species that has successfully established worldwide. In the present study, we investigate the foraging behaviour of P. dominula wasps when revisiting previously gathered resources. We recorded the number of learning flights and food manipulation efficiency performed by a single target wasp during several consecutive collecting visits. Additionally, we analysed P. dominula relocating behaviour when dealing with changes in food position. We assessed whether wasps choose the previously visited dish containing food or opt for a novel baited dish placed 60 cm away. Then, we trained wasps to collect food either once or three times and compared the time taken to find the novel food position when it was displaced 60 cm away. This is the first study to demonstrate relocating behaviour in P. dominula in which wasps rapidly learned to return to certain food sites. A significant reduction in learning flights after only one collecting visit was observed. Likewise, wasps learned to manipulate the resource spending less time after each experience. Moreover, when two food sources were offered, after just one visit, the majority of wasps collected the resource from the previously rewarded dish. Furthermore, when food was displaced, foragers found the new food location more rapidly after one visit than after three consecutive collecting experiences. Our findings contribute to the understanding of P. dominula behavioural plasticity while collecting food sources in anthropized environments, which highlight the importance of considering such learning experiences.