Olfactory learning in butterflies is dependent on the intensity of a plant-derived oviposition cue.

Butterflies, like many insects, use gustatory and olfactory cues innately to assess the suitability of an oviposition site and are able to associate colours and leaf shapes with an oviposition reward. Studies on other insects have demonstrated that the quality of the reward is a crucial factor in forming associative memory. We set out to investigate whether the large cabbage white (Linnaeus) has the ability to associate an oviposition experience with a neutral olfactory cue.