Abstract: The present paper reviews the concepts, processes, adaptive value and relevant influencing factors of learning by hymenopterous parasitoids in the process of host foraging. Learning is a general feature in parasitoids that usually occurs in the adult stage of these insects. Learning is often characterized by associative learning. Two effects can result from learning: priming and preference learning, which play a significant role in all steps of host foraging, enabling these parasitoids to effectively recognize and utilize profitable cues in a complex and dynamic environment and thus increase their foraging efficiency. The potential and effects of learning vary with the degree of dietary specialization of the parasitoids and their hosts, the host stages attacked physiological status of the parasitoids and the features of the stimuli in the environment. Understanding learning by parasitoids can help the development of techniques for manipulating parasitoid behavior, and thereby increase the efficacy of parasitoids as biological control agents in insect pest management.

Key words: hymenopterous parasitoids, host foraging, learning