Selective attention by priming in host search behavior of 2 generalist butterflies

Gabriella Gamberale-Stille, Alexander Schäpers, Niklas Janz and Sören Nylin

Behavioral Ecology, 2019, vol. 30, issue 1, 142-149

Abstract: We show that females of 2 generalist butterflies improve their search efficacy after previous encounters of the same host in a way similar to search-image formation, especially if the butterfly–host relationship is historically old. Thus, by targeting a single host at a time, host search efficacy may be improved and constitute a selection pressure for specialization. This result can help explain the evolutionary trend toward host specialization in phytophagous insects that is not well understood.

Keywords: diet breadth; host plant; limited attention; priming; search behavior; specialization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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