Olfactory learning and memory retention in Venturia canescens (Hym.: Ichneumonidae)

Learning new cues in all branches of biological organisms, ranging from unicellular organisms to mammals, occurs in different ways. In spite of their small size and short life span, insects have an extraordinary ability to learn, memorize and use environmental cues associated with the hosts and their food sources. Having the ability to learn and recalling the cues associated with the presence of prey / host is a key factor that increases the performance and foraging capacity of biocontrol agents including the ichneumonid parasitoid wasp Venturia canescens which is one of the most important parasitoids of the family Pyralidae in the world. In this research the learning ability of V. canescens in presence of peppermint and lemon odors was investigated by Y- Olfactometer. Results showed that the wasp had no significant preference towards peppermint or lemon, but after conditioning the female wasp, a meaningful difference was observed between her response to the conditioned odor (peppermint) and unconditioned odors (lemon). Her memory's lasting period continued for 27 hours after conditioning in the absence of the learned cues. Recognizing the learning ability and memory retention of the biocontrol agent V. canescens helps improve the efficiency of its application in biological control programs.