Acquisition d’une aversion alimentaire à trois espèces de pucerons des céréales chez l’araignéePardosa prativaga: effets intra- et interspécifiques

Abstract

Naive spiders usually accept aphids though these are low quality food, but they subsequently develop aversions as a result of experience. An aversion induced by one species of cereal aphid will be effective with the same strength also against two other species, no matter which of the three species induces the aversions; thus, it plays no role which species the spider encounters. However, the strength of the aversions is significantly dependent on which species induces them. With the three species of aphids tested, it turned out that the aphid of lowest quality as food for the spider created the weakest aversions, while the relatively higher quality aphids produced stronger aversions. Hypothetical explanations for these findings are discussed.