The 3rd instar larvae had previous experience on IE or NE plants before the beginning of the experiment to investigate if an effect of feeding experience occurred.
Therefore, the probability of an attack on the aposematic prey depends on the following three factors: prey palatability, estimated by feeding experience (learning); time since the last feeding experience (forgetting); and the availability of alternative prey (decision making).
This led us to explore further how prior feeding experience of the nematodes influenced consumption of potential pathogens and susceptibility to infection.
In some lepidopteran species, adults show an increased tendency to oviposit on their larval host plant [19], [29], [30], while in others larval feeding experience has no effect on adult host plant preference [35], [37], [38].
Though controlled endogenously, learning performance during the day could be additionally influenced by individual feeding experience.
The data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire covering feeding intention and previous feeding experience as well as demographic data.
