Sensory Capabilities, Information Processing, and Resource Specialization

Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to account for the widespread occurrence of specialized behavior, especially with regard to food and host-related resource utilization. None of these hypotheses has been widely accepted, although most are recognized as being important for particular taxa or in certain circumstances. We discuss features of neural function as primary proximate mechanisms involved in resource specialization, which may underlie many of the other hypotheses. Diet and host breadth may be associated with the potential informational complexity of an organism's environment. The processing of complex information ultimately entails costs associated with decision time, relative efficiency of food or oviposition site-selection behavior, and concomitant exposure to potential mortality factors. Sensory focusing, through paying attention, experiential processes, or canalized sensory input decreases these costs. Increased efficiency of host finding, recognition, and discrimination can be expected as a result of a reduced probability of information overload. Such efficiencies should, in addition, decrease exposure to natural enemies.