Behavioural and neurophysiological adaptations for food localization using plant odours in bees and wasps: a comparison between specialists and generalists

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Volatiles emitted by plants play a major role in guiding insects to food sources. Floral and vegetative odour patterns are described for many plant species but the behaviour-triggering compounds in interactions between plants and insect visitors have rarely been identified. The aim of this study is to investigate whether bees and wasps show specific adaptations in behaviour and olfactory processing to localize food sources. A combination of bioassays, electrophysiology and chemical analyses, as well as neurophysiological experiments will be used. We will test the hypothesis that specialist bees have evolved to recognize their specific host flowers using host-plant specific odour. Generalist bees and nectar-foraging wasps may orientate on generalist floral cues. Further, we will investigate whether specialist bees show functional adaptations in the neural processing of floral volatiles at the level of the first brain area processing odours, the antennal lobes, in comparison to a closely related generalist bee species. The long-term goal of this project is to understand the evolution of behavioural and physiological adaptations in specialist and generalist insects.