Data from : Nutrient learning, perception and generalization differ among wild pollinator species

Abstract

This dataset is the result of a study aimed at investigating how different wild pollinator insects perceive and learn pollen stimuli using experiments based on the recent Free-Moving Proboscis Extension Response (FMPER) technique. Specifically, we investigated the process of perception, learning and generalization between pollen enriched with different concentrations of fatty acids (which play a critical role in the survival, development and reproduction of many animals). We compared the associative learning in two castes of bumble bees (queens and workers of Bombus terrestris), honey bees (Apis mellifera), solitary bees (Ruizanthedella mutabilis), and a non-bee pollinator species (the hoverfly Eristalis tenax). Our results show that learning performance differed among bumble bee social castes, with queens acquiring learning odorants more effectively than workers. Similarly, learning performance differed among the four species of insect pollinators. Honey bees acquired the pollen-sucrose association more quickly than the other species. Likewise, bumble bees learned better than solitary bees and hoverflies. The pattern of generalization among stimuli was also different for the species studied, with honey bees showing stronger generalization and hoverflies showing more specific response patterns. The study of learning behavior in insect pollinators, together with complementary studies that determine the effect of these resources on survival, will provide valuable information for the conservation of these species and the services they supply, through adapted pollinator-friendly schemes that match their behavioral performance.The data are related to the scientific paper " Pietrantuono, A.N., et al. (under review) Nutrient learning, perception and generalization differ among wild pollinator species. PlosONE".Data are available as a csv file titled "Pietrantuono et al._data FMPER.csv".# METADATA#'data.frame': 343 obs. of 17 variables:# Species : Factor variable ; the species of the individual (and the caste for bumble bees), four factors are available: "Bumble bee queen", "Bumble bee worker", "Hoverfly", "Honey bee", and "Solitary bee"# Date : Factor variable ; the date of the experiment in DD/MM/YY# ID : Factor variable ; a unique identity for the individual per species# Stimulus : Factor variable ; the type of stimulus considered for the Conditioning phase, three factors are available: "10FA", "0FA", and "0.5FA"# C1_pollen : Numeric variable; response to the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) at conditioning trial 1, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# C1_sucrose : Numeric variable; response to the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) at conditioning trial 1, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# C2_pollen : Numeric variable; response to the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) at conditioning trial 2, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# C2_sucrose : Numeric variable; response to the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) at conditioning trial 2, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# C3_pollen: Numeric variable; response to the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) at conditioning trial 3, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# C3_sucrose : Numeric variable; response to the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) at conditioning trial 3, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# T1_pollen : Factor variable ; the type of stimulus considered for the test triat 1, three factors are available: "10FA", "0FA", and "0.5FA"# T1_response : Numeric variable; response to the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) at test trial 1, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# T2_pollen : Factor variable ; the type of stimulus considered for the test triat 2, three factors are available: "10FA", "0FA", and "0.5FA"# T2_response : Numeric variable; response to the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) at test trial 2, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response# T3_pollen : Factor variable ; the type of stimulus considered for the test triat 3, three factors are available: "10FA", "0FA", and "0.5FA"# T3_response : Numeric variable; response to the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) at test trial 3, with 0 for no response and 1 for positive response</p