Associative Learning and Memory in Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera, Thripidae)

Miniaturization leads to significant changes in the structure of the insect brain. The question of how these changes affect brain functioning is of great interest for understanding the evolution of the brain and cognitive characteristics in animals. Learning ability was previously described for several microinsect species, but comparative analysis of these cases is difficult due to the variable testing conditions. We developed a setup based on the Morris water maze design for aversive training of various miniature insects using visual stimuli. This setup was used to study the behavior of Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), and the ability for associative learning and memory formation was demonstrated in thrips for the first time.