Data from: Group recognition in a subsocial extreme omnivore is based on fecal odor preference that is modulated by coprophagy, diet, and learning

Fecal odors attract cockroaches to aggregations, where conspecific feces provide nutrients and seed the gut microbiota. Because these odors arise from the gut and fecal microbial communities, which are shaped by coprophagy and diet, discrete aggregations within a heterogeneous landscape can produce distinct fecal odor profiles. How such odor diversity influences recognition, group-affiliation, and ultimately aggregation remains unclear. We manipulated coprophagy and then diet in gnotobiotic nymphs to generate groups with distinct fecal odor signatures, then raised them to the adult stage and collected their feces for behavioral assays. Naïve nymphs lacking coprophagy experience were equally attracted to fecal odors from all treatment groups, suggesting an innate attraction to conspecific feces. In contrast, experienced nymphs preferred the fecal odor of their natal group over foreign groups, suggesting learned group-specific recognition. In associative learning assays, pairing a fecal odor with a glucose reward, nymphs preferentially aggregated with the conditioned odor over novel odors. These results show that aggregation in neonate cockroaches is mediated by both an innate attraction to conspecific fecal odor and learned preferences for specific odorants encountered during early coprophagy. We propose that these mechanisms guide neonates toward natal aggregations, facilitating acquisition of a locally adapted gut microbial community.