Domestication reduces caterpillar response to auditory predator cues.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Entomology

Background:

• Domestication alters organismal traits, including behavior and stress responses.
• Predation is a key selective pressure in wild populations, but its absence in captivity can lead to reduced sensitivity to threats.
• Previous research has shown this in various taxa, but insect responses to domestication-related predation risk loss were unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of domestication on predation risk sensitivity in gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar dispar).
• To compare the behavioral responses of wild and domesticated gypsy moth larvae to predator and non-predator acoustic cues.

Main Methods:

• Wild and domesticated (over 50 generations) Lymantria dispar dispar larvae were exposed to predator (wasp buzzing), non-predator (mosquito buzzing), or control (no sound) auditory stimuli.
• Larval survival rates were compared between the two stocks under different acoustic conditions.

Main Results:

• Wasp buzzing significantly reduced survival in wild gypsy moth larvae compared to the control group.
• Domesticated gypsy moth larvae did not exhibit a significant change in survival when exposed to wasp buzzing.
• Mosquito buzzing did not affect the survival of either wild or domesticated larvae.

Conclusions:

• Domesticated Lymantria dispar dispar larvae show reduced sensitivity to auditory cues of predation risk.
• Captive-reared insects may not serve as reliable analogs for wild populations in studies of risk-related behaviors.
• This finding has implications for using domesticated insects in ecological and behavioral research.