Home sweet home: induced plant preference in minute pirate bugs (Orius tristicolor)

For many animals, the early stages of development suffer the greatest mortality. In the absence of parental care, selection of a suitable habitat is one of the few things an adult can do to increase the survival of its young. If indicators of habitat quality are unreliable, individuals may use previous experience through natal habitat preference induction (NHPI) to choose an appropriate site. This study examines this process in the minute pirate bug (Orius tristicolor). This species has been shown to learn environmental cues and has an extensive range of potential oviposition hosts. In addition, it is an economically important biological control agent of pest insects. This study addresses the questions: What is the extent of NHPI in O. tristicolor? Are these effects independent of plant host quality? Field-collected O. tristicolor offspring were reared on cotton, soybeans or sunflowers then assessed for oviposition preference between the three plants. Egg number, hatch rate, and offspring survival were used to assess performance on the host plant.

Preliminary results show some evidence of natal habitat preference induction in this species, although there is variation between host plants. This work is the starting point for an exploration of the plastic and heritable components of host preference in this species, with NHPI as a potential bridge between learned and innate behaviors. In addition, this work has practical implications for rearing O. tristicolor for release in agro-ecosystems and maintaining populations in systems with crop rotation.