Journal articles on the topic 'Predation (Biology)'
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1
O’Neil, Robert J. "A MODEL OF PREDATION BY PODISUS MACULIVENTRIS (SAY) ON MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE, EPILACHNA VARIVESTIS MULSANT, IN SOYBEANS." Canadian Entomologist 120, no. 7 (July 1988): 601–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/ent120601-7.
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AbstractA model of predation by Podisus maculiventris (Say) on Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, larvae in soybeans is presented. The attack equation described the number of prey attacked as a function of the number of prey, soybean leaf area, and the search behavior of the predator. The area searched by P. maculiventris was related to the amount of leaf area and the number of prey. Predictions of the number of Mexican bean beetles attacked per predator were compared with an independent field data set. The relevance of the predation model to studies of predation in other agricultural systems is discussed.
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Belk, Mark C., Spencer J. Ingley, and Jerald B. Johnson. "Life History Divergence in Livebearing Fishes in Response to Predation: Is There a Microevolution to Macroevolution Barrier?" Diversity 12, no. 5 (May 5, 2020): 179. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12050179.
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A central problem in evolutionary biology is to determine whether adaptive phenotypic variation within species (microevolution) ultimately gives rise to new species (macroevolution). Predation environment can select for trait divergence among populations within species. The implied hypothesis is that the selection resulting from predation environment that creates population divergence within species would continue across the speciation boundary such that patterns of divergence after speciation would be a magnified accumulation of the trait variation observed before speciation. In this paper, we test for congruence in the mechanisms of microevolution and macroevolution by comparing the patterns of life history divergence among three closely related species of the livebearer genus Brachyrhaphis (Poeciliidae), namely B. rhabdophora, B. roseni, and B. terrabensis. Within B. rhabdophora, populations occur in either predator or predator-free environments, and have been considered to be at a nascent stage of speciation. Sister species B. roseni and B. terrabensis are segregated into predator and predator-free environments, respectively, and represent a post-speciation comparison. Male and female size at maturity, clutch size, and offspring size (and to a lesser extent reproductive allocation) all diverged according to predation environment and differences were amplified through evolutionary time, i.e., across the speciation boundary. Variation observed among nascent species differentiated by predation environment is a good predictor of variation among established species differentiated by predation environment. We found no evidence for different processes or different levels of selection acting across the speciation boundary, suggesting that macroevolution in these species can be understood as an accumulation of micro-evolutionary changes.
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Stewart, Heather C., and Sandra J. Walde. "THE DYNAMICS OF APHIS POMI DE GEER (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE) AND ITS PREDATOR, APHIDOLETES APHIDIMYZA (RONDANI) (DIPTERA: CECIDOMYIIDAE), ON APPLE IN NOVA SCOTIA." Canadian Entomologist 129, no. 4 (August 1997): 627–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/ent129627-4.
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AbstractThe dynamics of Aphis pomi De Geer (Homoptera: Aphididae) and its predator, Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), were studied over two seasons in a commercial apple orchard in Nova Scotia. Aphid and predator population dynamics were very different in the two seasons. The most numerous predator in both years was A. aphidimyza. This predator was found in the earliest colonies sampled each season and was present throughout the growing season. In the year with relatively high aphid densities a single peak in aphid and predator density was seen in mid-July, just prior to maximum predation rate. The predator’s numerical response resulted in delayed density dependence in predation rate. In the year of low aphid densities, predator and prey dynamics appeared uncoupled, and a higher rate of colony turnover may have been caused by other predators such as mirids. Aphidoletes aphidimyza tended to aggregate oviposition in high-density aphid colonies, but this aggregation resulted in predation that was only very weakly spatially density dependent.
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Maghool, Firas Hussean, and Raid Kamel Naji. "The Dynamics of a Tritrophic Leslie-Gower Food-Web System with the Effect of Fear." Journal of Applied Mathematics 2021 (September 1, 2021): 1–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/2112814.
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The avoidance strategy of prey to predation and the predation strategy for predators are important topics in evolutionary biology. Both prey and predators adjust their behaviors in order to obtain the maximal benefits and to raise their biomass for each. Therefore, this paper is aimed at studying the impact of prey’s fear and group defense against predation on the dynamics of the food-web model. Consequently, in this paper, a mathematical model that describes a tritrophic Leslie-Gower food-web system is formulated. Sokol-Howell type of function response is adapted to describe the predation process due to the prey’s group defensive capability. The effects of fear due to the predation process are considered in the first two levels. It is assumed that the generalist predator grows logistically using the Leslie-Gower type of growth function. All the solution properties of the model are studied. Local dynamics behaviors are investigated. The basin of attraction for each equilibrium is determined using the Lyapunov function. The conditions of persistence of the model are specified. The study of local bifurcation in the model is done. Numerical simulations are implemented to show the obtained results. It is watched that the system is wealthy in its dynamics including chaos. The fear factor works as a stabilizing factor in the system up to a specific level; otherwise, it leads to the extinction of the predator. However, increasing the prey’s group defense leads to extinction in predator species.
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Lerch, Brian A., and Maria R. Servedio. "Predation drives complex eco-evolutionary dynamics in sexually selected traits." PLOS Biology 21, no. 4 (April 3, 2023): e3002059. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002059.
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Predation plays a role in preventing the evolution of ever more complicated sexual displays, because such displays often increase an individual’s predation risk. Sexual selection theory, however, omits a key feature of predation in modeling costs to sexually selected traits: Predation is density dependent. As a result of this density dependence, predator–prey dynamics should feed back into the evolution of sexual displays, which, in turn, feeds back into predator–prey dynamics. Here, we develop both population and quantitative genetic models of sexual selection that explicitly link the evolution of sexual displays with predator–prey dynamics. Our primary result is that predation can drive eco-evolutionary cycles in sexually selected traits. We also show that mechanistically modeling the cost to sexual displays as predation leads to novel outcomes such as the maintenance of polymorphism in sexual displays and alters ecological dynamics by muting prey cycles. These results suggest predation as a potential mechanism to maintain variation in sexual displays and underscore that short-term studies of sexual display evolution may not accurately predict long-run dynamics. Further, they demonstrate that a common verbal model (that predation limits sexual displays) with widespread empirical support can result in unappreciated, complex dynamics due to the density-dependent nature of predation.
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Taggart, D. A., D. J. Schultz, T. C. Corrigan, T. J. Schultz, M. Stevens, D. Panther, and C. R. White. "Reintroduction methods and a review of mortality in the brush-tailed rock-wallaby, Grampians National Park, Australia." Australian Journal of Zoology 63, no. 6 (2015): 383. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo15029.
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Captive-bred brush-tailed rock-wallabies (BTRW) were reintroduced into the Grampians National Park, Australia, during 2008–12. Two release strategies (methods) were examined: ‘Small release with supplementation’ (Strategy 1) and ‘Larger release, no supplementation’ (Strategy 2). Of the 39 animals released, 18% survived. Thirty-six percent of all mortality occurred within the first 100 days. Under Strategy 1, 22 animals were released in five groups. Twenty deaths occurred across 48 months, with predation estimated to account for 15% of mortalities. Under Strategy 2, 17 individuals were reintroduced across one month. Twelve deaths occurred in the five months following release, with predation estimated to account for 83.4% of mortalities. Of the independent variables tested for their relationship to survival time after release, release strategy was the only significant predictor of survival time after release with the risk of death 3.2 times greater in Strategy 2. Independent variables tested for their relationship to predation risk indicated that release strategy was also the only significant predictor of predation risk, with the risk of death associated with predation 10.5 times greater in Strategy 2. Data suggested that fox predation was the main factor affecting BTRW establishment. Predation risk declined by 75% during the first six months after release. A significant positive relationship was also found between predation risk and colony supplementation events. We conclude that predation risk at Moora Moora Creek is reduced in releases of fewer animals, that it declines across time and that disturbing BTRW colonies through the introduction of new animals can increase predation risk. We recommend that future reintroductions should employ diverse exotic predator control measures at the landscape scale, time releases to periods of lowest predator activity, and limit colony disturbance to maintain group cohesion and social structure. Furthermore, the preferred method of population establishment should be single, small releases over multiple sites without supplementation. Further testing of the reintroduction biology of this species is urgently required.
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Tanis, Brian P., Bradley Bott, and Brian J. Gaston. "Sex-based differences in anti-predator response of crickets to chemical cues of a mammalian predator." PeerJ 6 (June 11, 2018): e4923. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4923.
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Anti-predator behaviors like vigilance or hiding come at the expense of other fitness increasing behaviors such as foraging. To compensate for this trade-off, prey assess predation risk and modify the frequency of anti-predator behaviors according to the likelihood of the threat. In this study, we tested the ability of house crickets (Acheta domesticus) to indirectly assess predation risk via odors from a mammalian predator, Elliot’s short-tailed shrew (Blarina hylophaga). As natural differences in encounter rates and predation risk differs between sexes, we tested if male and female crickets perceive similar rates of predation risk from the presence of shrew odor measured via anti-predator behavioral response. Crickets were placed in enclosed, cardboard-lined chambers either treated with shrew odor or control, along with a food source. Time until foraging was measured for each individual and compared across treatment and sex. We found that in the presence of shrew odor, female crickets delayed foraging while males showed no response. These results suggest adult crickets can use chemical cues to detect mammalian predators. Furthermore, we demonstrate that female crickets associate greater predation risk from shrew predators than do male crickets, which are more stationary yet acoustically conspicuous. As predation risk potentially differs drastically for each sex, changes to the operational sex ratios of wild cricket populations could be influenced by the identity of the predator community.
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Desurmont, Gaylord A., and Paul A. Weston. "Influence of prey size and environmental factors on predation by Podisus maculiventris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on viburnum leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)." Canadian Entomologist 140, no. 2 (April 2008): 192–202. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/n07-021.
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AbstractExperiments were conducted under laboratory conditions to determine the influence of the relative sizes of predator and prey, temperature, presence of refugia, size of the search area, and host-plant species on the predation performance of Podisus maculiventris (Say) nymphs against viburnum leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull), a new landscape pest in North America that feeds on the foliage of species of Viburnum L. (Caprifoliaceae). Predator handling time was positively correlated with body mass of the prey for all instars of P. maculiventris, but the rate of increase of handling time relative to prey mass decreased as predator age increased. Temperature was positively correlated with predation rates, but the presence of refugia did not have an impact on predation. The influence of host-plant species and size of the search area was tested on southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum L.) and American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus L. var. americanum Aiton). There was a significant interaction between plant species and size of the search area, the species effect becoming significant as leaf surface area increased. In the case of southern arrowwood a negative correlation between size of the search area and predation rate was also detected. The identification of these factors adds valuable knowledge for using P. maculiventris as a biological-control agent against P. viburni.
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Mihalitsis, Michalis, Renato A. Morais, and David R. Bellwood. "Small predators dominate fish predation in coral reef communities." PLOS Biology 20, no. 11 (November 29, 2022): e3001898. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001898.
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Ecosystem processes are challenging to quantify at a community level, particularly within complex ecosystems (e.g., rainforests, coral reefs). Predation is one of the most important types of species interactions, determining several ecosystem processes. However, while it is widely recognised, it is rarely quantified, especially in aquatic systems. To address these issues, we model predation on fish by fish, in a hyperdiverse coral reef community. We show that body sizes previously examined in fish–fish predation studies (based on a metanalysis), only represent about 5% of likely predation events. The average fish predator on coral reefs is just 3.65 cm; the average fish prey just 1.5 cm. These results call for a shift in the way we view fish predation and its ability to shape the species or functional composition of coral reef fish communities. Considered from a functional group approach, we found general agreement in the distribution of simulated and observed predation events, among both predator and prey functional groups. Predation on coral reefs is a process driven by small fish, most of which are neither seen nor quantified.
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Müller, Susanne, Sarah N. Strack, Sarah E. Ryan, Mary Shawgo, Abigail Walling, Susanna Harris, Chris Chambers, Jennifer Boddicker, and John R. Kirby. "Identification of Functions Affecting Predator-Prey Interactions between Myxococcus xanthus and Bacillus subtilis." Journal of Bacteriology 198, no. 24 (October 3, 2016): 3335–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jb.00575-16.
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ABSTRACTSoil bacteria engage each other in competitive and cooperative ways to determine their microenvironments. In this study, we report the identification of a large number of genes required forMyxococcus xanthusto engageBacillus subtilisin a predator-prey relationship. We generated and tested over 6,000 individual transposon insertion mutants ofM. xanthusand found many new factors required to promote efficient predation, including the specialized metabolite myxoprincomide, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter permease, and a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) locus encoding bacterial immunity. We also identified genes known to be involved in predation, including those required for the production of exopolysaccharides and type IV pilus (T4P)-dependent motility, as well as chemosensory and two-component systems. Furthermore, deletion of these genes confirmed their role during predation. Overall,M. xanthuspredation appears to be a multifactorial process, with multiple determinants enhancing predation capacity.IMPORTANCESoil bacteria engage each other in complex environments and utilize multiple traits to ensure survival. Here, we report the identification of multiple traits that enable a common soil organism,Myxococcus xanthus, to prey upon and utilize nutrients from another common soil organism,Bacillus subtilis. We mutagenized the predator and carried out a screen to identify genes that were required to either enhance or diminish capacity to consume prey. We identified dozens of genes encoding factors that contribute to the overall repertoire for the predator to successfully engage its prey in the natural environment.
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De la Cruz, Iván, Álvaro Dueñas, and Pamela Rivera-Parra. "First report of Thyroptera tricolor (Chiroptera: Thyropteridae) caught in a web of Eriophora sp. (Araneae: Araneidae) in the Ecuadorian Amazon." Mammalia aequatorialis 5 (December 1, 2023): 75–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.59763/mam.aeq.v5i.68.
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Predation of bats by large arthropods has rarely been documented. Here we describe the first record of a Spix’s disk-winged bat (Thyroptera tricolor) caught in a web of Eriophora sp. in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador. This observation contributes to the knowledge of bat biology and predator-prey interactions in the Amazon region.
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Valverde Cadillo, Amador, Neryeling Valverde Apfata, and Roberto Solano Porras. "Biology and performance of the predator Hippodamia convergens, reared on cabbage aphids Brevicoryne brassicae, Myzaphis rosarum and Myzus persicae." Agroindustrial Science 12, no. 3 (December 19, 2022): 235–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.17268/agroind.sci.2022.03.01.
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The Brevicoryne brassicae aphid is an important pest of several plants of the Brassicaceae family worldwide. In the Mantaro Valley-Peru, it causes economic losses in cabbage and broccoli crops. Myzus persicae is the most important pest in potato cultivation. Myzaphis rosarum colonizes both wild and cultivated rose bushes and trees. To control it, farmers use toxic chemical insecticides that cause health problems. Faced with this problem, biocontrol is an important component of sustainable production to control pests. Hippodamia convergens is a predator of aphids, so it is necessary to know its biology and predation in its different prey. The objective was to determine the duration of the development stages, longevity, fecundity and performance of the predator H. convergens reared with cabbage aphids B. barssicae, Myzaphis rosarum and Myzus persicae. The completely randomized design was used, with 10 repetitions and three treatments or species of aphids. The aphid species used as food for the predator influenced the duration of preimaginal and adult development. Egg-adult development was longer with 34.1 days with B. brassicae and shorter with M. rosarum and M. persicae with 22.8 and 22.5 days respectively. Cabbage glucosinolates absorbed by B. barssicae negatively affected the growth rate, development, weight gain, survival, fecundity and predation capacity of H. convergens.
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Kelly, Brett, and Jacques Régnière. "PREDATION ON PUPAE OF THE SPRUCE BUDWORM (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE) ON THE FOREST FLOOR." Canadian Entomologist 117, no. 1 (January 1985): 33–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/ent11733-1.
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AbstractPredation on spruce-budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), pupae on the forest floor was estimated at 72.5% per day. It is unlikely that many adults of the spruce budworm emerge from the forest floor and there would be little bias introduced in the estimation of apparent fecundity by disregarding pupae on the ground. There were large seasonal fluctuations in the rate of predation attributable to various predator groups; the overall rate ranged from 66 to 91% per day. Low temperatures had no detectable effect on vertebrate predation, but reduced invertebrate predation; however, this effect is unlikely to result in much variation in survival of pupae on the forest floor.
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Olson, Randal S., David B. Knoester, and Christoph Adami. "Evolution of Swarming Behavior Is Shaped by How Predators Attack." Artificial Life 22, no. 3 (August 2016): 299–318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/artl_a_00206.
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Animal grouping behaviors have been widely studied due to their implications for understanding social intelligence, collective cognition, and potential applications in engineering, artificial intelligence, and robotics. An important biological aspect of these studies is discerning which selection pressures favor the evolution of grouping behavior. In the past decade, researchers have begun using evolutionary computation to study the evolutionary effects of these selection pressures in predator-prey models. The selfish herd hypothesis states that concentrated groups arise because prey selfishly attempt to place their conspecifics between themselves and the predator, thus causing an endless cycle of movement toward the center of the group. Using an evolutionary model of a predator-prey system, we show that how predators attack is critical to the evolution of the selfish herd. Following this discovery, we show that density-dependent predation provides an abstraction of Hamilton's original formulation of domains of danger. Finally, we verify that density-dependent predation provides a sufficient selective advantage for prey to evolve the selfish herd in response to predation by coevolving predators. Thus, our work corroborates Hamilton's selfish herd hypothesis in a digital evolutionary model, refines the assumptions of the selfish herd hypothesis, and generalizes the domain of danger concept to density-dependent predation.
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Alptert, Gary D. "Army Ants: the Biology of Social Predation." Annals of the Entomological Society of America 89, no. 2 (March 1, 1996): 309. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aesa/89.2.309.
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Dupuis-Desormeaux, Marc, Zeke Davidson, Laura Pratt, Mary Mwololo, and Suzanne E. MacDonald. "Testing the effects of perimeter fencing and elephant exclosures on lion predation patterns in a Kenyan wildlife conservancy." PeerJ 4 (February 11, 2016): e1681. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1681.
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The use of fences to segregate wildlife can change predator and prey behaviour. Predators can learn to incorporate fencing into their hunting strategies and prey can learn to avoid foraging near fences. A twelve-strand electric predator-proof fence surrounds our study site. There are also porous one-strand electric fences used to create exclosures where elephant (and giraffe) cannot enter in order to protect blocs of browse vegetation for two critically endangered species, the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi). The denser vegetation in these exclosures attracts both browsing prey and ambush predators. In this study we examined if lion predation patterns differed near the perimeter fencing and inside the elephant exclosures by mapping the location of kills. We used a spatial analysis to compare the predation patterns near the perimeter fencing and inside the exclosures to predation in the rest of the conservancy. Predation was not over-represented near the perimeter fence but the pattern of predation near the fence suggests that fences may be a contributing factor to predation success. Overall, we found that predation was over-represented inside and within 50 m of the exclosures. However, by examining individual exclosures in greater detail using a hot spot analysis, we found that only a few exclosures contained lion predation hot spots. Although some exclosures provide good hunting grounds for lions, we concluded that exclosures did not necessarily create prey-traps per se and that managers could continue to use this type of exclusionary fencing to protect stands of dense vegetation.
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Luo, Du, Minghao Ye, and Dingtian Yang. "Predator-Prey Interactions between Nonnative Juvenile Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) and Local Candidate Prey Species in the Pearl River Delta: Predation Capacity, Preference and Growth Performance." Life 12, no. 2 (February 16, 2022): 295. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life12020295.
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An ontogenetic dietary shift is crucial for the survival and growth of piscivorous largemouth bass (LB). However, there is much to learn about the predator-prey interaction during the switching process. We carried out a series of indoor experiments to examine the predation capacity, predation preference, and growth performance of exotic juvenile LB feeding on candidate prey species in the Pearl River Delta. The widely distributed oriental river prawn (Macrobranchium nipponense), barcheek goby (Ctenogobius giurinus), western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), and mud carp (Cirrhinus molitorella), with relatively similar total lengths, were selected as potential prey based on their availability and habitat use. Our results show that predation capacity and preference varied quantitatively and qualitatively among prey species. The number of oriental river prawns killed was significantly less than that of fish species, comparing the 1st hour with the 24th hour (p < 0.01). The feeding rhythm of LB varied significantly from crayfish to fish. Numerically, Jacobs’ selection index reinforced LB’s special preference for predating G. affinis. Although there were obvious variations in predation capacity and feed selection, no statistically significant growth differences were detected among LB groups feeding on live M. nipponense, G. affinis, H. molitrix, and C. molitorella (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the successful ontogenetic dietary shift of juvenile LB may depend on the availability and vulnerability of local fish species. Further study on the reproductive phenology of potential fish prey may help to predict LB’s establishment.
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Dawson, Erika H., and Lars Chittka. "Bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) use social information as an indicator of safety in dangerous environments." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281, no. 1785 (June 22, 2014): 20133174. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.3174.
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Avoiding predation is one of the most important challenges that an animal faces. Several anti-predation behaviours can be employed, yet simply using the presence of conspecifics can be a good signal of safety in an environment with potential predation hazards. Here, we show, for the first time, that past experience of predation causes bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) to aggregate with conspecifics, facilitating the identification of safe foraging patches. Bees were trained to differentiate between flowers that harboured predators and flowers that were predator free. When test subjects were subsequently presented solely with the previously predator-infested flower species, there was a significant preference to only land on flowers occupied by other feeding conspecifics. Yet, when safe flowers were made available to subjects previously entrained to discriminate safe from predator-occupied flowers, subjects ignored other bees and the social information potentially provided by them, demonstrating that attraction towards conspecifics is confined to dangerous situations. Our findings demonstrate a previously unknown social interaction in pollinators which may have important implications for plant–pollinator interactions.
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Vasse, Marie, Francesca Fiegna, Ben Kriesel, and Gregory J. Velicer. "Killer prey: Ecology reverses bacterial predation." PLOS Biology 22, no. 1 (January 23, 2024): e3002454. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002454.
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Ecological variation influences the character of many biotic interactions, but examples of predator–prey reversal mediated by abiotic context are few. We show that the temperature at which prey grow before interacting with a bacterial predator can determine the very direction of predation, reversing predator and prey identities. While Pseudomonas fluorescens reared at 32°C was extensively killed by the generalist predator Myxococcus xanthus, P. fluorescens reared at 22°C became the predator, slaughtering M. xanthus to extinction and growing on its remains. Beyond M. xanthus, diffusible molecules in P. fluorescens supernatant also killed 2 other phylogenetically distant species among several examined. Our results suggest that the sign of lethal microbial antagonisms may often change across abiotic gradients in natural microbial communities, with important ecological and evolutionary implications. They also suggest that a larger proportion of microbial warfare results in predation—the killing and consumption of organisms—than is generally recognized.
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Urban, Mark C. "Evolution mediates the effects of apex predation on aquatic food webs." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280, no. 1763 (July 22, 2013): 20130859. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.0859.
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Ecological and evolutionary mechanisms are increasingly thought to shape local community dynamics. Here, I evaluate if the local adaptation of a meso-predator to an apex predator alters local food webs. The marbled salamander ( Ambystoma opacum ) is an apex predator that consumes both the spotted salamander ( Ambystoma maculatum ) and shared zooplankton prey. Common garden experiments reveal that spotted salamander populations which co-occur with marbled salamanders forage more intensely than those that face other predator species. These foraging differences, in turn, alter the diversity, abundance and composition of zooplankton communities in common garden experiments and natural ponds. Locally adapted spotted salamanders exacerbate prey biomass declines associated with apex predation, but dampen the top-down effects of apex predation on prey diversity. Countergradient selection on foraging explains why locally adapted spotted salamanders exacerbate prey biomass declines. The two salamander species prefer different prey species, which explains why adapted spotted salamanders buffer changes in prey composition owing to apex predation. Results suggest that local adaptation can strongly mediate effects from apex predation on local food webs. Community ecologists might often need to consider the evolutionary history of populations to understand local diversity patterns, food web dynamics, resource gradients and their responses to disturbance.
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Balaban-Feld, Jesse, William A. Mitchell, Burt P. Kotler, Sundararaj Vijayan, Lotan T. Tov Elem, Michael L. Rosenzweig, and Zvika Abramsky. "Individual willingness to leave a safe refuge and the trade-off between food and safety: a test with social fish." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286, no. 1907 (July 17, 2019): 20190826. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0826.
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Refuges offer prey animals protection from predation, but increased time spent hiding can reduce foraging opportunities. Within social groups, individuals vary in their refuge use and willingness to forage in the presence of a predator. Here, we examine the relative foraging benefits and mortality costs associated with individual refuge use and foraging behaviour within groups of goldfish ( Carassius auratus ) under predation risk from an avian predator (little egret— Egretta garzetta ). We assessed individual order of emergence from the refuge and participation over 15 group foraging outings, and assigned each fish a daily outing index score. The individual fish that emerged from the refuge earlier than the other group members and that participated in more outings received high outing index scores and consumed more food compared with fish that tended to emerge in posterior positions and participate in fewer outings. However, individual fish that attained high outing index scores suffered a higher risk of predation. Furthermore, the amount of time the egret spent at the pool affected group foraging behaviour: as predation risk increased, groups of fish consumed significantly less food. Our results exemplify the trade-off between foraging success and safety from predation that prey species regularly experience.
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Robinson, Nathan J., and Winfried S. Peters. "Complexity of the prey spectrum ofAgaronia propatula(Caenogastropoda: Olividae), a dominant predator in sandy beach ecosystems of Pacific Central America." PeerJ 6 (April 30, 2018): e4714. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4714.
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Olivid gastropods of the genusAgaroniaare dominant predators within invertebrate communities on sandy beaches throughout Pacific Central America. At Playa Grande, on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, we observed 327 natural predation events byAgaronia propatula. For each predation event, we documented prey taxa and body size of both predator and prey. The relationship between predator and prey size differed for each of the four main prey taxa: bivalves, crustaceans, heterospecific gastropods, and conspecific gastropods (representing cannibalism). For bivalve prey, there was increased variance in prey size with increasing predator size. Crustaceans were likely subdued only if injured or otherwise incapacitated. Heterospecific gastropods (mostlyOlivella semistriata) constituted half of all prey items, but were only captured by small and intermediately sizedA. propatula. LargeO. semistriataappeared capable of avoiding predation byA. propatula. Cannibalism was more prevalent among largeA. propatulathan previously estimated. Our findings suggested ontogenetic niche shifts inA. propatulaand a significant role of cannibalism in its population dynamics. Also indicated were size-dependent defensive behavior in some prey taxa and a dynamic, fine-scale zonation of the beach. The unexpected complexity of the trophic relations ofA. propatulawas only revealed though analysis of individual predation events. This highlights the need for detailed investigations into the trophic ecology of marine invertebrates to understand the factors driving ecosystem structuring in sandy beaches.
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Jozet-Alves, Christelle, and Marie Hébert. "Embryonic exposure to predator odour modulates visual lateralization in cuttlefish." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280, no. 1752 (February 7, 2013): 20122575. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.2575.
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Predation pressure acts on the behaviour and morphology of prey species. In fish, the degree of lateralization varies between high- and low-predation populations. While lateralization appears to be widespread in invertebrates, we do not know whether heredity and early experience interact during development as in vertebrates. Here we show, for the first time, that an exposure to predator odour prior to hatching modulates visual lateralization in newly hatched cuttlefish. Only cuttlefish that have been exposed to predator odour display a left-turning bias when tested with blank seawater in a T-shaped apparatus. Exposure to predator odour all the incubation long could appear as an acute predictor of a high-predation surrounding environment. In addition, cuttlefish of all groups display a left-turning preference when tested with predator odour in the apparatus. This suggests the ability of cuttlefish to innately recognize predator odour. To our knowledge, this is the first clear demonstration that lateralization is vulnerable to ecological challenges encountered during embryonic life, and that environmental stimulation of the embryo through the olfactory system could influence the development of subsequent visual lateralization.
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Bannister, Hannah L., Catherine E. Lynch, and Katherine E. Moseby. "Predator swamping and supplementary feeding do not improve reintroduction success for a threatened Australian mammal, Bettongia lesueur." Australian Mammalogy 38, no. 2 (2016): 177. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am15020.
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Broad-scale Australian mammal declines following European settlement have resulted in many species becoming regionally or globally extinct. Attempts to reintroduce native mammals are often unsuccessful due to a suboptimal number of founders being used, high rates of predation and a lack of knowledge of the reintroduction biology for the species concerned. We trialled predator swamping and supplementary feeding in an attempt to offset predation and improve reintroduction success for the burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur) in arid South Australia. We compared population longevity of a large release group (1266 animals) with five releases of smaller groups (~50 animals at each). We compared release sites with (n = 5) and without (n = 1) supplementary food to determine whether site fidelity, body condition and reproduction were affected, and whether these traits aided population establishment. Predator swamping did not facilitate reintroduction success, with no bettongs detected more than 122 days after release. While supplementary food increased site fidelity and persistence at release sites, bettongs failed to establish successfully at any site. Neither predator swamping nor supplementary feeding enhanced reintroduction success at our sites but results suggested that supplementary feeding should be explored as an aid to reintroduction success for Australian mammals.
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Müller, Christine B., and Jacques Brodeur. "Intraguild predation in biological control and conservation biology." Biological Control 25, no. 3 (November 2002): 216–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1049-9644(02)00102-0.
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Ferrari, Maud C. O., Grant E. Brown, Gary R. Bortolotti, and Douglas P. Chivers. "Linking predator risk and uncertainty to adaptive forgetting: a theoretical framework and empirical test using tadpoles." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277, no. 1691 (March 17, 2010): 2205–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.2117.
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Hundreds of studies have examined how prey animals assess their risk of predation. These studies work from the basic tennet that prey need to continually balance the conflicting demands of predator avoidance with activities such as foraging and reproduction. The information that animals gain regarding local predation risk is most often learned. Yet, the concept of ‘memory’ in the context of predation remains virtually unexplored. Here, our goal was (i) to determine if the memory window associated with predator recognition is fixed or flexible and, if it is flexible, (ii) to identify which factors affect the length of this window and in which ways. We performed an experiment on larval wood frogs, Rana sylvatica , to test whether the risk posed by, and the uncertainty associated with, the predator would affect the length of the tadpoles' memory window. We found that as the risk associated with the predator increases, tadpoles retained predator-related information for longer. Moreover, if the uncertainty about predator-related information increases, then prey use this information for a shorter period. We also present a theoretical framework aiming at highlighting both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that could affect the memory window of information use by prey individuals.
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DeWitt, Philip D., Matthew S. Schuler, Darcy R. Visscher, and Richard P. Thiel. "Nutritional state reveals complex consequences of risk in a wild predator–prey community." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284, no. 1858 (July 12, 2017): 20170757. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0757.
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Animal populations are regulated by the combined effects of top-down, bottom-up and abiotic processes. Ecologists have struggled to isolate these mechanisms because their effects on prey behaviour, nutrition, security and fitness are often interrelated. We monitored how forage, non-consumptive effects (NCEs), consumptive predation and climatic conditions influenced the demography and nutritional state of a wild prey population during predator recolonization. Combined measures of nutrition, survival and population growth reveal that predators imposed strong effects on the prey population through interacting non-consumptive and consumptive effects, and forage mechanisms. Predation was directly responsible for adult survival, while declining recruitment was attributed to predation risk-sensitive foraging, manifested in poor female nutrition and juvenile recruitment. Substituting nutritional state into the recruitment model through a shared term reveals that predation risk-sensitive foraging was nearly twice as influential as summer forage conditions. Our findings provide a novel, mechanistic insight into the complex means by which predators and forage conditions affect prey populations, and point to a need for more ecological studies that integrate behaviour, nutrition and demography. This line of inquiry can provide further insight into how NCEs interactively contribute to the dynamics of terrestrial prey populations; particularly, how predation risk-sensitive foraging has the potential to stabilize predator–prey coexistence.
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Dingemanse, Niels J., Fons Van der Plas, Jonathan Wright, Denis Réale, Maarten Schrama, Derek A. Roff, Els Van der Zee, and Iain Barber. "Individual experience and evolutionary history of predation affect expression of heritable variation in fish personality and morphology." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276, no. 1660 (January 6, 2009): 1285–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1555.
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Predation plays a central role in evolutionary processes, but little is known about how predators affect the expression of heritable variation, restricting our ability to predict evolutionary effects of predation. We reared families of three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus from two populations—one with a history of fish predation (predator sympatric) and one without (predator naive)—and experimentally manipulated experience of predators during ontogeny. For a suite of ecologically relevant behavioural (‘personality’) and morphological traits, we then estimated two key variance components, additive genetic variance ( V A ) and residual variance ( V R ), that jointly shape narrow-sense heritability ( h 2 = V A /( V A + V R )). Both population and treatment differentially affected V A versus V R , hence h 2 , but only for certain traits. The predator-naive population generally had lower V A and h 2 values than the predator-sympatric population for personality behaviours, but not morphological traits. Values of V R and h 2 were increased for some, but decreased for other personality traits in the predator-exposed treatment. For some personality traits, V A and h 2 values were affected by treatment in the predator-naive population, but not in the predator-sympatric population, implying that the latter harboured less genetic variation for behavioural plasticity. Replication and experimental manipulation of predation regime are now needed to confirm that these population differences were related to variation in predator-induced selection. Cross-environment genetic correlations ( r A ) were tight for most traits, suggesting that predator-induced selection can affect the evolution of the same trait expressed in the absence of predators. The treatment effects on variance components imply that predators can affect evolution, not only by acting directly as selective agents, but also by influencing the expression of heritable variation.
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Barbosa, Miguel, Amy E. Deacon, Maria Joao Janeiro, Indar Ramnarine, Michael Blair Morrissey, and Anne E. Magurran. "Individual variation in reproductive behaviour is linked to temporal heterogeneity in predation risk." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285, no. 1870 (January 10, 2018): 20171499. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1499.
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Variation in predation risk is a major driver of ecological and evolutionary change, and, in turn, of geographical variation in behaviour. While predation risk is rarely constant in natural populations, the extent to which variation in predation risk shapes individual behaviour in wild populations remains unclear. Here, we investigated individual differences in reproductive behaviour in 16 Trinidadian guppy populations and related it to the observed variation in predator biomass each population experienced. Our results show that high heterogeneity in predator biomass is linked to individual behavioural diversification. Increased within-population heterogeneity in predator biomass is also associated with behavioural polymorphism. Some individuals adjust the frequency of consensual mating behaviour in response to differences in sex ratio context, while others display constantly at elevated frequencies. This pattern is analogous to a ‘live fast, die young’ pace-of-life syndrome. Notably, both high and low mean differences in predator biomass led to a homogenization of individual frequency of consensual mating displays. Overall, our results demonstrate that individual behavioural variation is associated with heterogeneity in predator biomass, but not necessarily with changes in mean values of predator biomass. We suggest that heterogeneity in predator biomass is an informative predictor of adaptive responses to changes in biotic conditions.
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Montanaro, Renee C., and Nancy J. O’Connor. "Temporal and spatial refugia modify predation risk for non-native crabs in rocky intertidal habitats." PeerJ 12 (February 2, 2024): e16852. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16852.
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Populations of the non-native Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, now dominate the rocky intertidal of southern New England, USA. High abundances suggest the recent invader may have experienced enhanced success as a result of enemy release. While larvae and juveniles may serve as a food source for ecologically important species, little is known about predation of mature H. sanguineus or the influence of habitat on predation pressure. To assess natural predation rates of adult H. sanguineus, crabs were tethered in the intertidal at Clarks Cove in New Bedford, MA. Crabs were left in situ for half of a tidal cycle then observed for signs of predation. Results of separate high and low tide trials showed that adult crabs were preyed upon at both high and low tide, though at a significantly higher rate during high tide during both daytime and nighttime, suggesting predation by aquatic species is greater than that by terrestrial species. To investigate the role of habitat as refuge from predation, a laboratory experiment manipulated the complexity of habitat provided to crabs in the presence of a native fish predator. Results indicate better refuge is provided by more complex shelter. Together, findings suggest that fish, crabs, and/or diving birds are important predators for H. sanguineus in the invaded range and that habitat refuge acts to reduce predation pressure.
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Forsyth, S. F., and A. K. Watson. "PREDISPERSAL SEED PREDATION OF CANADA THISTLE." Canadian Entomologist 117, no. 9 (September 1985): 1075–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/ent1171075-9.
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AbstractPredispersal seed predation of Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Asteraceae) by Orellia ruficauda (Fabr.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) occurs in about 20–85% of the seed heads and the proportion of damaged seeds per attacked head averages 20–80% depending on geographical location and sampling date. Microscopic studies of damaged seeds were performed. Although the impact of this seed predator is not severe, it may be an important factor in the population regulation of the weed.
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Giroux, Marie-Andrée, Myriam Trottier-Paquet, Joël Bêty, Vincent Lamarre, and Nicolas Lecomte. "Is it safe to nest near conspicuous neighbours? Spatial patterns in predation risk associated with the density of American Golden-Plover nests." PeerJ 4 (August 10, 2016): e2193. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2193.
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Predation is one of the main factors explaining nesting mortality in most bird species. Birds can avoid nest predation or reduce predation pressure by breeding at higher latitude, showing anti-predator behaviour, selecting nest sites protected from predators, and nesting in association with protective species. American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) defend their territory by using various warning and distraction behaviours displayed at varying levels of intensity (hereafter “conspicuous behaviour”), as well as more aggressive behaviours such as aerial attacks, but only in some populations. Such antipredator behaviour has the potential to repel predators and thus benefit the neighbouring nests by decreasing their predation risk. Yet, conspicuous behaviour could also attract predators by signalling the presence of a nest. To test for the existence of a protective effect associated with the conspicuous antipredator behaviour of American Golden-Plovers, we studied the influence of proximity to plover nests on predation risk of artificial nests on Igloolik Island (Nunavut, Canada) in July 2014. We predicted that the predation risk of artificial nests would decrease with proximity to and density of plover nests. We monitored 18 plover nests and set 35 artificial nests at 30, 50, 100, 200, and 500 m from seven of those plover nests. We found that the predation risk of artificial nests increases with the density of active plover nests. We also found a significant negative effect of the distance to the nearest active protector nest on predation risk of artificial nests. Understanding how the composition and structure of shorebird communities generate spatial patterns in predation risks represents a key step to better understand the importance of these species of conservation concern in tundra food webs.
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Croft, D. P., S. K. Darden, and G. D. Ruxton. "Predation risk as a driving force for phenotypic assortment: a cross-population comparison." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276, no. 1663 (February 25, 2009): 1899–904. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1928.
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Frequency-dependent predation has been proposed as a general mechanism driving the phenotypic assortment of social groups via the ‘oddity effect’, which occurs when the presence of odd individuals in a group allows a predator to fixate on a single prey item, increasing the predator's attack-to-kill ratio. However, the generality of the oddity effect has been debated and, previously, there has not been an ecological assessment of the role of predation risk in driving the phenotypic assortment of social groups. Here, we compare the levels of body length assortment of social groups between populations of the Trinidadian guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ) that experience differences in predation risk. As predicted by the oddity effect hypothesis, we observe phenotypic assortment by body length to be greater under high predation risk. However, we found that a number of low-predation populations were also significantly assorted by body length, suggesting that other mechanisms may have a role to play.
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Auer, Sonya K., Ronald D. Bassar, Joseph J. Fontaine, and Thomas E. Martin. "Breeding Biology of Passerines in a Subtropical Montane Forest in Northwestern Argentina." Condor 109, no. 2 (May 1, 2007): 321–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/109.2.321.
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Abstract The breeding ecology of south temperate bird species is less widely known than that of north temperate species, yet because they comprise a large portion of the world's avian diversity, knowledge of their breeding ecology can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the geographic diversity of avian reproductive traits and life history strategies. We provide the first detailed examination of the reproductive strategies of 18 forest passerines of subtropical, northwestern Argentina. Mean clutch sizes were smaller and egg mass was greater than for north temperate birds, but differed among species and nest types, with cavity-nesters having larger clutches than species with open-cup and enclosed nests. Across all species, the average breeding season duration was 50 days; thus, the common perception that southern species have smaller clutch sizes because of longer breeding seasons is not supported in this community. Daily nest predation rates were influenced by nest type, cavity nests suffering the least from predation, as found in north temperate systems. Only females incubated eggs in all but one species, whereas both parents fed and cared for nestlings in all species. Mean nest attentiveness was low compared to north temperate passerines. Mean hourly nestling feeding rates differed among species and were negatively related to nest predation risk. In short, coexisting species in this subtropical forest varied in their life history strategies, in part correlated with variation in nest predation risk, but also differing from north temperate species.
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Abdul Manaf, Zati Iwani, and Mohd Hafiz Mohd. "Dynamical System Analysis of the Prey-predator Interactions involving Prey Refuge and Herd Behaviors in Preys." Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences 18, no. 1 (February 28, 2022): 105–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.11113/mjfas.v18n1.2415.
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By employing a prey refuge mechanism, more preys can be protected from predation. Prey species are also better protected from predation when they congregate in herds. However, what if the prey refuge and herd behavior mechanisms were combined in a system? To investigate this phenomenon, we consider two different prey-predator systems with prey refuge capacity. The first system is a simple prey-predator with prey refuge, whereas the second system considers prey refuge and prey herd behavior mechanisms. Using these models, we explore how different prey refuge strategies affect species interactions in both systems. To accomplish this, we use theoretical techniques (e.g., computing steady states and performing the stability analysis) and numerical bifurcation analysis to demonstrate various dynamical behaviors of these two prey-predator systems. Once prey refuge is treated as a bifurcation parameter, we observe the occurrence of supercritical Hopf and transcritical bifurcations in both systems. Furthermore, we explore the dynamic effects of prey refuge and predator handling time on species population interactions: our findings reveal that using both prey refuge and herd behavior as escape strategies; it is possible to dilute the predation pressure and ensure species biodiversity.
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Watve, Mukta, Sebastian Prati, and Barbara Taborsky. "Simulating more realistic predation threat using attack playbacks." PeerJ 7 (December 19, 2019): e8149. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8149.
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Use of virtual proxies of live animals are rapidly gaining ground in studies of animal behaviour. Such proxies help to reduce the number of live experimental animals needed to stimulate the behaviour of experimental individuals and to increase standardisation. However, using too simplistic proxies may fail to induce a desired effect and/or lead to quick habituation. For instance, in a predation context, prey often employ multimodal cues to detect predators or use specific aspects of predator behaviour to assess threat. In a live interaction, predator and prey often show behaviours directed towards each other, which are absent in virtual proxies. Here we compared the effectiveness of chemical and visual predator cues in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, a species in which predation pressure has been the evolutionary driver of its sociality. We created playbacks of predators simulating an attack and tested their effectiveness in comparison to a playback showing regular activity and to a live predator. We further compared the effectiveness of predator odour and conspecific skin extracts on behaviours directed towards a predator playback. Regular playbacks of calmly swimming predators were less effective than live predators in stimulating a focal individual’s aggression and attention. However, playbacks mimicking an attacking predator induced responses much like a live predator. Chemical cues did not affect predator directed behaviour.
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Dennis, S. R., Mauricio J. Carter, W. T. Hentley, and A. P. Beckerman. "Phenotypic convergence along a gradient of predation risk." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 278, no. 1712 (November 17, 2010): 1687–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.1989.
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A long-standing question in ecology is whether phenotypic plasticity, rather than selection per se , is responsible for phenotypic variation among populations. Plasticity can increase or decrease variation, but most previous studies have been limited to single populations, single traits and a small number of environments assessed using univariate reaction norms. Here, examining two genetically distinct populations of Daphnia pulex with different predation histories, we quantified predator-induced plasticity among 11 traits along a fine-scale gradient of predation risk by a predator ( Chaoborus ) common to both populations. We test the hypothesis that plasticity can be responsible for convergence in phenotypes among different populations by experimentally characterizing multivariate reaction norms with phenotypic trajectory analysis (PTA). Univariate analyses showed that all genotypes increased age and size at maturity, and invested in defensive spikes (neckteeth), but failed to quantitatively describe whole-organism response. In contrast, PTA quantified and qualified the phenotypic strategy the organism mobilized against the selection pressure. We demonstrate, at the whole-organism level, that the two populations occupy different areas of phenotypic space in the absence of predation but converge in phenotypic space as predation threat increases.
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Sandin, Stuart A., Beverly J. French, and Brian J. Zgliczynski. "Emerging insights on effects of sharks and other top predators on coral reefs." Emerging Topics in Life Sciences 6, no. 1 (March 8, 2022): 57–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/etls20210238.
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Predation is ubiquitous on coral reefs. Among the most charismatic group of reef predators are the top predatory fishes, including sharks and large-bodied bony fishes. Despite the threat presented by top predators, data describing their realized effects on reef community structure and functioning are challenging to produce. Many innovative studies have capitalized on natural experimental conditions to explore predator effects on reefs. Gradients in predator density have been created by spatial patterning of fisheries management. Evidence of prey release has been observed across some reefs, namely that potential prey increase in density when predator density is reduced. While such studies search for evidence of prey release among broad groups or guilds of potential prey, a subset of studies have sought evidence of release at finer population levels. We find that some groups of fishes are particularly vulnerable to the effects of predators and more able to capitalize demographically when predator density is reduced. For example, territorial damselfish appear to realize reliable population expansion with the reduction in predator density, likely because their aggressive, defensive behavior makes them distinctly vulnerable to predation. Relatedly, individual fishes that suffer from debilitating conditions, such as heavy parasite loads, appear to realize relatively stronger levels of prey release with reduced predator density. Studying the effects of predators on coral reefs remains a timely pursuit, and we argue that efforts to focus on the specifics of vulnerability to predation among potential prey and other context-specific dimensions of mortality hold promise to expand our knowledge.
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Al-Rawy, Mohammed A., and Hind S. Abdulhay. "Study The Predation Efficiency of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens)(Neuroptera :Chrysopidae) Larvae in Controlling Nymphs and Adults of Cabbage Aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Homoptera :Aphididae)." Baghdad Science Journal 9, no. 3 (September 2, 2012): 424–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.21123/bsj.2012.9.3.424-430.
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Results showed high efficiency of the predator Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) to attack and consume nymphal instars and adults of cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.).The total average of the nymphal instars consumed by the larval stage of predator were 308.67, 285.9, 198.77, 154.7 for 1st ,2nd ,3rd ,4th nymphal instars respectively .While it was 110,107.9 for apterae and alatae respectively . Also, predation efficiency increases with the progress of the larval instars up to the third (last) which was the most voracious .The 1st instar nymph consumed by the larvae of the predator were 47,80,181.67 nymphs ,with predation rate of 14.71% , 23.75% and 50.13% for 1st ,2nd and 3rd larval instars
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Stuckert, Adam M. M., and Heather D. Vance-Chalcraft. "Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive & Dependence: Using Dodgeball to Explore Frequency Dependent Selection." American Biology Teacher 78, no. 7 (September 1, 2016): 603–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/abt.2016.78.7.603.
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The term frequency dependence describes scenarios in which the likelihood of an event occurring is strongly tied to how common a particular trait is. Understanding frequency dependence is key to understanding numerous biological processes relevant to evolution by natural selection, such as predation, mimicry, disease, and effective vaccinations. We use dodgeball to demonstrate frequency dependent selection in a hypothetical predator–prey community, and provide possible extensions into other topics. This activity can be used with biology students in high school through upper-level undergraduate courses.
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DeCesare, Nicholas J. "Separating spatial search and efficiency rates as components of predation risk." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1747 (September 12, 2012): 4626–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1698.
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Predation risk is an important driver of ecosystems, and local spatial variation in risk can have population-level consequences by affecting multiple components of the predation process. I use resource selection and proportional hazard time-to-event modelling to assess the spatial drivers of two key components of risk—the search rate (i.e. aggregative response) and predation efficiency rate (i.e. functional response)—imposed by wolves ( Canis lupus ) in a multi-prey system. In my study area, both components of risk increased according to topographic variation, but anthropogenic features affected only the search rate. Predicted models of the cumulative hazard, or risk of a kill, underlying wolf search paths validated well with broad-scale variation in kill rates, suggesting that spatial hazard models provide a means of scaling up from local heterogeneity in predation risk to population-level dynamics in predator–prey systems. Additionally, I estimated an integrated model of relative spatial predation risk as the product of the search and efficiency rates, combining the distinct contributions of spatial heterogeneity to each component of risk.
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Pitchford, J. "Intratrophic Predation in Simple Predator–Prey Models." Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 60, no. 5 (September 1998): 937–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/bulm.1998.0053.
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Arim, Matías, and Pablo A. Marquet. "Intraguild predation: a widespread interaction related to species biology." Ecology Letters 7, no. 7 (June 1, 2004): 557–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2004.00613.x.
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Becks, Lutz, and Uwe John. "Genomische Signaturen des Übergangs zur Mehrzelligkeit." BIOspektrum 28, no. 3 (May 2022): 269–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12268-022-1764-z.
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AbstractWe examined the evolution of cell groups in ten isogenic lines of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii upon exposure to a rotifer predator and found that cell groups evolving in the presence of predation had increased survival compared to single cells but at a cost of reduced reproduction. Identical mutations evolved in cell group isolates and were associated with their growth form. The observation of repeated genomic changes after 500 generations of predator selection, suggest some level of deterministic evolution.
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McGhee, Katie E., Sally Feng, Sagan Leasure, and Alison M. Bell. "A female's past experience with predators affects male courtship and the care her offspring will receive from their father." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1819 (November 22, 2015): 20151840. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.1840.
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Differential allocation occurs when individuals adjust their reproductive investment based on their partner's traits. However, it remains unknown whether animals differentially allocate based on their partner's past experiences with predation risk. If animals can detect a potential mate's experience with predators, this might inform them about the stress level of their potential mate, the likelihood of parental effects in offspring and/or the dangers present in the environment. Using threespined stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ), we examined whether a female's previous experience with being chased by a model predator while yolking eggs affects male mating effort and offspring care. Males displayed fewer conspicuous courtship behaviours towards females that had experienced predation risk in the past compared with unexposed females. This differential allocation extended to how males cared for the resulting offspring of these matings: fathers provided less parental care to offspring of females that had experienced predation risk in the past. Our results show for the first time, to our knowledge, that variation among females in their predator encounters can contribute to behavioural variation among males in courtship and parental care, even when males themselves do not encounter a predator. These results, together with previous findings, suggest that maternal predator exposure can influence offspring development both directly and indirectly, through how it affects father care.
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Symes, Laurel B., Sharon J. Martinson, Ciara E. Kernan, and Hannah M. ter Hofstede. "Sheep in wolves’ clothing: prey rely on proactive defences when predator and non-predator cues are similar." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287, no. 1933 (August 26, 2020): 20201212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1212.
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Predation produces intense selection and a diversity of defences. Reactive defences are triggered by predator cues, whereas proactive defences are always in effect. We assess whether prey rely on proactive defences when predator cues do not correlate well with predation risk. Many bats use echolocation to hunt insects, and many insects have evolved to hear bats. However, in species-rich environments like Neotropical forests, bats have extremely diverse foraging strategies, and the presence of echolocation corresponds only weakly to the presence of predators. We assess whether katydids that live in habitats with many non-dangerous bat species stop calling when exposed to echolocation. For 11 species of katydids, we quantified behavioural and neural responses to predator cues, and katydid signalling activity over 24 h periods. Despite having the sensory capacity to detect predators, many Neotropical forest katydids continued calling in the presence of predator cues, displaying proactive defences instead (short, infrequent calls totalling less than 2 cumulative seconds of sound per 24 h). Neotropical katydid signalling illustrates a fascinating case where trophic interactions are probably mediated by a third group: bats with alternative foraging strategies (e.g. frugivory). Although these co-occurring bats are not trophically connected, their mere presence disrupts the correlation between cue and predation risk.
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Demšar, Jure, and Iztok Lebar Bajec. "Simulated Predator Attacks on Flocks: A Comparison of Tactics." Artificial Life 20, no. 3 (July 2014): 343–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/artl_a_00135.
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It is not exactly known why birds aggregate in coordinated flocks. The most common hypothesis proposes that the reason is protection from predators. Most of the currently developed examples of individual-based predator-prey models assume predators are attracted to the center of a highly coordinated flock. This proposed attraction of a predator to a flock would appear to be contradictory to an alternate hypothesis that flocks evolved as a protection against predation. In an attempt to resolve this apparent conflict, in this article we use a fuzzy individual-based model to study three attack tactics (attack center, attack nearest, attack isolated) and analyze the success of predation on two types of prey (social and individualistic). Our simulations revealed that social flocking (as opposed to individualistic behavior) is the optimal anti-predatory response to predators attacking mainly isolated individuals.
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Carter, Mauricio J., Martin I. Lind, Stuart R. Dennis, William Hentley, and Andrew P. Beckerman. "Evolution of a predator-induced, nonlinear reaction norm." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284, no. 1861 (August 23, 2017): 20170859. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0859.
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Inducible, anti-predator traits are a classic example of phenotypic plasticity. Their evolutionary dynamics depend on their genetic basis, the historical pattern of predation risk that populations have experienced and current selection gradients. When populations experience predators with contrasting hunting strategies and size preferences, theory suggests contrasting micro-evolutionary responses to selection. Daphnia pulex is an ideal species to explore the micro-evolutionary response of anti-predator traits because they face heterogeneous predation regimes, sometimes experiencing only invertebrate midge predators and other times experiencing vertebrate fish and invertebrate midge predators. We explored plausible patterns of adaptive evolution of a predator-induced morphological reaction norm. We combined estimates of selection gradients that characterize the various habitats that D. pulex experiences with detail on the quantitative genetic architecture of inducible morphological defences. Our data reveal a fine scale description of daphnid defensive reaction norms, and a strong covariance between the sensitivity to cues and the maximum response to cues. By analysing the response of the reaction norm to plausible, predator-specific selection gradients, we show how in the context of this covariance, micro-evolution may be more uniform than predicted from size-selective predation theory. Our results show how covariance between the sensitivity to cues and the maximum response to cues for morphological defence can shape the evolutionary trajectory of predator-induced defences in D. pulex .
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Segers, Francisca H. I. D., and Barbara Taborsky. "Juvenile exposure to predator cues induces a larger egg size in fish." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1731 (October 5, 2011): 1241–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1290.
Full textAbstract:
When females anticipate a hazardous environment for their offspring, they can increase offspring survival by producing larger young. Early environmental experience determines egg size in different animal taxa. We predicted that a higher perceived predation risk by juveniles would cause an increase in the sizes of eggs that they produce as adults. To test this, we exposed juveniles of the mouthbrooding cichlid Eretmodus cyanostictus in a split-brood experiment either to cues of a natural predator or to a control situation. After maturation, females that had been confronted with predators produced heavier eggs, whereas clutch size itself was not affected by the treatment. This effect cannot be explained by a differential female body size because the predator treatment did not influence growth trajectories. The observed increase of egg mass is likely to be adaptive, as heavier eggs gave rise to larger young and in fish, juvenile predation risk drops sharply with increasing body size. This study provides the first evidence that predator cues perceived by females early in life positively affect egg mass, suggesting that these cues allow her to predict the predation risk for her offspring.
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Bedore, Christine N., Stephen M. Kajiura, and Sönke Johnsen. "Freezing behaviour facilitates bioelectric crypsis in cuttlefish faced with predation risk." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1820 (December 7, 2015): 20151886. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.1886.
Full textAbstract:
Cephalopods, and in particular the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis , are common models for studies of camouflage and predator avoidance behaviour. Preventing detection by predators is especially important to this group of animals, most of which are soft-bodied, lack physical defences, and are subject to both visually and non-visually mediated detection. Here, we report a novel cryptic mechanism in S. officinalis in which bioelectric cues are reduced via a behavioural freeze response to a predator stimulus. The reduction of bioelectric fields created by the freeze-simulating stimulus resulted in a possible decrease in shark predation risk by reducing detectability. The freeze response may also facilitate other non-visual cryptic mechanisms to lower predation risk from a wide range of predator types.