Data from: Group recognition in the German cockroach, a subsocial 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
quality 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 coprophagy soon after they hatch. We propose
that these mechanisms guide neonates toward natal aggregations,
facilitating acquisition of a locally adapted gut microbial community.