Journal articles on the topic 'Prey species'
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SHOLIHAH, TYAN HIDAYATUS. "MODEL MATEMATIKA MANGSA PEMANGSA TIGA SPESIES DENGAN FUNGSI RESPON HOLLING TIPE II DAN HOLLING TIPE IV SERTA PEMANENAN PADA POPULASI MANGSA." MATHunesa: Jurnal Ilmiah Matematika 8, no. 2 (July 11, 2020): 168–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.26740/mathunesa.v8n2.p168-173.
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In this world, living things are interdependent. Every living creature needs another living creature, so there is an interaction between the two. One of interactions that occur in mini style is predator prey interaction. The interaction of prey and predator in the world of ecology is an important and interesting thing to discuss. Therefore many researchers make mathematical models of predator prey to find out the interacions of these prey predators. In this study involved three species, namely two species of prey and one species of predator. Concerning predatory prey behavior with Holling type II, and Holling type IV response functions and harvesting in second prey populations. In this study, the type IV Holling function is used when the predator preys on the first prey, and the type II Holling response function is used when the predator preys on the second prey. This research is a type of quantitative research that examines theories and concepts relating to the problems discussed in this study through various literature sources. This article specifically discusses concerning the construction of predator prey models with Holling type II, and Holling type IV response functions as well as harvesting in the second prey population models obtained from the results of construction in this study are in equation (21).
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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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Tomatsuri, Morihiko, and Koetsu Kon. "Comparison of Three Methods for Determining the Prey Preference of the Muricid SnailReishia clavigera." Journal of Marine Biology 2015 (2015): 1–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/484392.
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We propose an appropriate method for investigating the prey preferences of the muricid snailReishia clavigera(Küster, 1860) with limited collection of live prey. We compared 3 methods for examining the prey preference. The first was a predation experiment, conducted with dead prey instead of live prey. The second was a prey choice test using a few preys. In this experiment, both live and dead prey were used. The last method was a stable isotope analysis ofR. clavigeraand its putative prey items. Using live prey, bivalves were the most preferred prey, but goose barnacle was the most preferred prey species in experiments using dead prey. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis supported the live prey experiment. SinceR. clavigeraprefer preying on live prey but will scavenge or cannibalize when no other food is available in natural habitats, experimental methods using dead prey are not suitable for investigating its prey preferences. Considering the damage to natural habitats, the prey choice test is ecologically benign. Taken together, our findings suggested the prey choice test is the most appropriate method of identifying the prey preferences of muricid snails when large numbers of live preys are difficult to collect.
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Wikan, Arild, and Ørjan Kristensen. "Prey-Predator Interactions in Two and Three Species Population Models." Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society 2019 (February 17, 2019): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9543139.
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Discrete nonlinear two and three species prey-predator models are considered. Focus is on stability and nonstationary behaviour. Regarding the two species model, depending on the fecundity of the predator, we show that the transfer from stability to instability goes through either a supercritical flip or a supercritical Neimark-Sacker bifurcation and moreover that there exist multiple attractors in the chaotic regime, one where both species coexist and another where the predator population has become extinct. Sizes of basin of attraction for these possibilities are investigated. Regarding the three species models, we show that the dynamics may differ whether both predators prey upon the prey or if the top predator preys upon the other predator only. Both the sizes of stable parameter regions as well as the qualitative structure of attractors may be different.
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Luiselli, Luca. "Interspecific relationships between two species of sympatric Afrotropical water snake in relation to a seasonally fluctuating food resource." Journal of Tropical Ecology 22, no. 1 (December 21, 2005): 91–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467405002877.
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In this paper, the ecological relationships and the resource partitioning patterns in a two-species system of sympatric aquatic snakes (Grayia smythii and Afronatrix anoscopus) from a riverine forest area in southern Nigeria, West Africa, were tested. The monthly availability of their food resources in the field, and the monthly variation in the feeding relationships between these snakes and their preys, were also studied. Food items of 1245 snakes, i.e. 554 Grayia smythii, and 691 Afronatrix anoscopus, were examined. The mean body length of Grayia smythii was significantly larger than that of Afronatrix anoscopus in any interspecific comparison, i.e. males versus males, females versus females, and females versus males; however, in both species the females attained significantly larger body sizes than the males. 676 prey items were obtained from the stomachs of Afronatrix anoscopus, and 390 from those of Grayia smythii. Both species of snake exhibited an increased activity in the open during the wet months, and this increased activity was positively correlated to the higher abundance of prey during the wet season. In both species the diet consisted of a great variety of different amphibian and fish species. Direct interference competition was not observed. The month-by-month dietary patterns exhibited by the two snake species were similar. Mean prey size was significantly larger in the larger species, and the difference in prey size between the two snake species increased during the dry season, i.e. during the period of reduced prey availability. The monthly availability of the three main food types for these snakes varied, and were significantly more abundant during the wet season (April–September). A positive relationship between prey availability and prey use by snakes strongly suggests that the two snake species are predatory generalists, utilizing prey in relation to their abundance in the field.
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Bonacci, Teresa, Massimo Capula, Tullia Zetto Brandmayr, Pietro Brandmayr, and Gaetano Aloise. "Testing the predatory behaviour of Podarcis sicula (Reptilia: Lacertidae) towards aposematic and non-aposematic preys." Amphibia-Reptilia 29, no. 3 (2008): 449–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853808785111986.
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Abstract Food preferences and the effects of prey chemical repellents in the dietary behaviour of Podarcis sicula were tested using four species of Carabid beetles as prey models. The goal of the study was to assess (i) the ability of P. sicula to recognize insect preys provided with chemical repellents and aposematic colorations under laboratory conditions, and (ii) the importance of chemical signals used by the prey model as antipredatory strategy. Preys used in this study were Brachinus sclopeta and Anchomenus dorsalis (aposematic species) and Amara anthobia and A. aenea (non-aposematic species). Aposematic species are characterized by warning color pattern and by production of chemical repellents, while non-aposematic ones do not. Amara anthobia and A. aenea were attacked with high frequency by P. sicula, Brachinus sclopeta and Anchomenus dorsalis with low frequency. Non-aposematic species were preyed more often than the aposematic ones. Brachinus sclopeta was preyed after low latency, while Amara anthobia and A. aenea after long latency. Non-aposematic species were captured and eaten without difficulty, while when B. sclopeta or A. dorsalis were captured, lizards always tossed their head and then rub the snout on the soil, probably because of the unpalatability of aposematic preys.
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Escalera-Vázquez, Luis H., Omar Domínguez-Domínguez, Eduardo Molina-Domínguez, S. S. S. Sarma, and S. Nandini. "Determination of optimal prey for rearing tropical gar Atractosteus tropicus (Lepisosteiformes: Lepisosteidae)." Revista de Biología Tropical 66, no. 3 (July 4, 2018): 1018. http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v66i3.30670.
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Larval feeding studies of both ornamental and consumable fish species are important for formulating successful management, and culture strategies for conservation purposes. In the present study, we evaluated prey selectivity for the tropical gar Atractosteus tropicus in the larval stage (first 8 weeks) using the zooplankton Artemia fransiscana, Daphnia pulex and Moina macrocopa as prey following the hypothesis that prey selection of the fish species is related not only to prey species preferences but to the difference in prey densities present in the environment. Functional responses were tested at prey densities of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 ind. mL-1 and analyzed using Manly’s α. For prey selectivity, we used the three zooplankton species at three different densities. In these two experiments the fish larvae were allowed to feed for 45 min. To quantify feeding behavior (encounters, attacks, captures, ingestions, rejections) we used a density of 1 ind. mL-1 using each prey species based on 10 minutes of direct observation. Our results showed a functional response Type II for A. tropicus preying mostly on A. franciscana and M. macrocopa. The Manly’s α index showed that M. macrocopa and A. franciscana are the most preys selected. The values for encounters for the three prey species were relatively constant during the eight weeks. Encounter values for the cladocerans were low in comparison to A. franciscana; however, high success in capture and ingestion was observed for all prey species used. Our results from the functional response experiments supports the hypothesis that A. tropicus is an active predator presenting a functional response of a carnivorous fish and the shift in prey selection suggests that even at low prey availability, A. tropicus is able to manipulate and feed on zooplankton of wide range in size. Also, according to our results, we suggest the use of a mix of A. franciscana and M. macrocopa to feed A. tropicus in culture systems in concentrations ≈ 2 ind. mL-1 during the first 3 weeks of age and then shift to M. macrocopa from the 4 week. Our results, in conjunction with studies on the survivorship of the juveniles would aid in conservation efforts and improve the production of gars in aquaculture.
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Pizzatto, Lígia, Otavio Marques, and Kátia Facure. "Food habits of Brazilian boid snakes: overview and new data, with special reference to Corallus hortulanus." Amphibia-Reptilia 30, no. 4 (2009): 533–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853809789647121.
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AbstractThis study examines the diet of eight boid snakes: Boa c. constrictor, Boa c. amarali, Corallus caninus, C. hortulanus, Epicrates cenchria, E. crassus, E. assisi and Eunectes murinus mainly by analyzing the gut contents of preserved museum specimens, and includes a literature review to present an overview of the diet of Brazilian boids. Mammals constitute the primary prey consumed by the majority of the species. Birds are also frequently consumed by C. hortulanus and Boa contrictor, and are the most important prey for B. c. amarali. Ectotherms (mostly lizards) were only consumed by immature snakes. Such prey is rarely consumed by B. c. amarali and not recorded for Epicrates and Eunectes species in our dissections. C. caninus is likely a mammal specialist and Epicrates prey on birds more opportunistically. The niche overlap index varied from 0.27-0.52 for species occurring in the same bioma and geographic range but it is possible this overlap is lower as most sympatric species explore different macrohabitat. C. hortulanus exhibited a significant relationship between prey size and predator head size; this relationship did not differ among mature and immature snakes. In comparison to immature individuals heavier adult snakes fed on heavier prey items however, the ratio between prey/predator mass decreased with increase in predator mass (or size). Most boids exploit diurnal and nocturnal preys, probably using both sit-and-wait and active tactics. They feed on the ground but boas and C. hortulanus and possibly E. cenchria also exploit arboreal prey.
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Yuan, David, Juliey Beckman, Jaime Florez Fernandez, and Juanita Rodriguez. "Nest Ecology and Prey Preference of the Mud Dauber Wasp Sceliphron formosum (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)." Insects 13, no. 12 (December 9, 2022): 1136. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects13121136.
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(1) Background: Sceliphron is a genus of sphecid wasps that build mud nests for reproduction. These wasps prey exclusively on spiders, and commonly inhabit human constructions. The nesting behaviour and prey selection of many Sceliphron species are well studied, but despite being a common insect in urban areas, Sceliphron formosum has never been comprehensively studied. (2) Methods: In this study, over 650 mud nests of S. formosum were collected, analysed and examined to establish prey preference, nest ecology and interspecific interactions. Prey preference was evaluated in terms of abundance, diversity and morphology. Preference in terms of morphology was estimated using body length to leg span ratio (BLR). (3) Results: S. formosum largely preys on ground-hunting spiders, among which Salticidae represented the most collected prey. In terms of prey size, S. formosum captures prey with a large BLR. Moreover, an unexpected discovery showed that the enclosed mud nests provide a micro niche that supports a wide variety of insects. Sixteen families and 23 species of insects were found associated with the use of mud nests, comprising the insect orders Hymenoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera. These included important pollinators, new species and native species not recorded in the past 20 years of mud dauber wasp research. We propose the potential of S. formosum as a keystone species, due to its ability to provide a micro niche for native species in urban areas. We also discuss how these results contribute to our knowledge on the role of insects in urban ecosystems and their significance in relation to conservation, ecology and biodiversity studies.
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Szövényi, Gergely. "Orthopteran insects as potential and preferred preys of the Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) in Hungary." Ornis Hungarica 23, no. 1 (June 1, 2015): 48–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/orhu-2015-0004.
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Abstract Orthopterans play an important role in Red-footed Falcon diet, however, most studies focus only on its qualitative food composition, and less on quantitative composition and preferences of the taxa identified as prey. During the present research, an extensive orthopterological investigation was carried out in the Red-footed Falcon study area, Vásárhelyi Plain (SE-Hungary) between 2006 and 2008. Grasshoppers were sampled in their main habitats by sweep netting and pitfall trapping, and orthopterans were identified in the food remnants collected from the nests, both artificial and natural ones. 26 species were detected during the field works, 18 species from the food remnants. Altogether 32 species were identified. Prey preference values for all species for each year were calculated. More than two thirds of the identified preys were Decticus verrucivorus, and nearly 20% were Tettigonia viridissima. Other common prey species were Melanogryllus desertus, Platycleis affinis, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, Calliptamus italicus and Gryllus campestris. Based on the prey preference analysis, the most preferred species was Decticus verrucivorus with extreme high values, and the other preferred ones, overlapping with the previous list, were Platycleis affinis, Bicolorana bicolor, Tettigonia viridissima, Calliptamus italicus and Roeseliana roeselii. These results may help in the development of Red-footed Falcon-friendly habitats through the application of habitat management favourable for the preferred prey species.
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Villares Junior, GA, and R. Goitein. "Variations of Salminus hilarii diet (Ostariophysi, Characidae): seasonal and ontogenetic effects." Brazilian Journal of Biology 75, no. 3 (September 25, 2015): 574–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.17213.
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AbstractThis study described the variations seasonal and ontogenetic of Salminus hilarii diet. Samples were collected in the Sorocaba River, São Paulo, Brazil, one of the few rivers where individuals of the species still occur in a higher frequency. The preys consumed were analyzed by Importance Alimentary Index (AIi). To determine similarities between year seasons, the AIi data were analyzed by the Morisita-Horn index and reduced in cluster analysis, along with a statistical comparison made by one-way ANOSIM test (5%). The feeding activity was analyzed according to the stomach repletion index and compared among the year seasons using non parametric variance analysis Kruskal-Wallis test (5%). Comparison of prey consumed between immature and adult individuals was made by Spearman correlation (5%). A Pearson correlation (5%) was applied between the standard length of the fish and prey consumed, as well as between the mouth and prey heights. The analyzes of stomach contents showed that the diet of this species was exclusively piscivorous, with significant difference of prey consumption during the period, the same happening among adult and immature individuals. It was observed that these fishes use to swallow their prey whole and that significant correlations between size of predator and prey size can be observed. There is also correlation between the mouth height and the maximum prey depth. Salminus hilarii feeds on the available prey, and the species food composition and feeding activity depends on prey`s abundance, their size and morphology, as do the water temperatures.
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Barragán-Contreras, Leidy A., and Martha L. Calderón-Espinosa. "What do <i>Anolis</i> eat?: evaluation of sexual dimorphism and geographic variation in the diet of <i>Anolis ventrimaculatus</i> (Squamata: dactyloidae) in Colombia." Actualidades Biológicas 35, no. 99 (October 18, 2017): 199–208. http://dx.doi.org/10.17533/udea.acbi.329118.
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Anolis lizards exhibit high morphological diversity, partially related to variation in structural resource use, that probably influences foraging behavior and prey selection of individuals and species. Anoles are largely insectivorous: most species are generalists/opportunists and few are specialists. Dietary differences between sexes and among individuals from different populations have been observed in several species. Sexual size dimorphism, spatial niche divergence between sexes and species, competition and food availability are some of the factors responsible for these differences. We characterized the diet of Anolis ventrimaculatus (Squamata: Dactyloidae), a species with sexual size and shape dimorphism, widely distributed in highland Colombian environments. Stomach and proximal intestinal content of preserved adults were analyzed. Prey items were classified to order and, when possible, to family. A. ventrimaculatus eats variable preys (mostly Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and insect larvae) and is classified as a generalist/opportunist. Vegetal debris, shed skin, and stones presumably were ingested incidentally. Diets of males and females are similar. Sexual dimorphism and geographic variation in the diet were minimal. Males and females exhibited differences in total number and percentage of use of frequently consumed prey (Orthoptera and Hymenoptera), and these differences varied among localities. Total prey numbers consumed by females also varied among localities, whereas consumption of Coleoptera and Orthoptera varied in both sexes. Differences in prey size could explain the variation in prey number between sexes, with males probably ingesting larger items. Variation in prey availability (most likely attributable to differences in structural microhabitat use), sample sizes and dates of collecting events could explain minor geographic variation in some aspects of the foraging ecology in this species.
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STROHMEYER, HEATHER HORAN, NANCY E. STAMP, CHRISTINE M. JARZOMSKI, and DEANE M. BOWERS. "Prey species and prey diet affect growth of invertebrate predators." Ecological Entomology 23, no. 1 (February 1998): 68–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2311.1998.00101.x.
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Keshari, Nishi, and R. S. Kanwar. "The Predation Behaviour of Fictor composticola on Parasitic Nematodes of Button Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus." International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management 12, no. 6 (December 31, 2021): 751–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.23910/1.2021.2430.
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In this study, the predation behaviour of male and female predatory nematode, Fictor composticola, was studied on five prey nematode species, Aphelenchus avenae, Aphelenchoides swarupi, Ditylenchus myceliophagus, Bursilla sp. and Panagrolaimus sp., found in the white button mushroom compost. The period of the study is of six months. The data recorded on number of encounters, part of the body of prey attacked, stage of the prey attacked, duration of feeding etc. The strike rate and prey susceptibility were calculated. The average number of encounters on all the five preys done by female F. composticola was 3.0 and that of the male was 6.0. Male F. composticola had more number of encounters on the prey nematode species than the females. Both the sexes preferred juvenile stages over adults as prey. The most attacked part by both females and males predator, was the posterior part of the prey body. In 80% of cases, female predators fed on the first encountered prey while males attacked the first encountered prey in 30% of cases only. The strike rate of female F. composticola was more (78.6%) than the male (48.2%). Mycophagous nematodes were more susceptible to predator’s attack than the microbivorous nematodes. The strike rate of the predator on different prey nematode species was found more on mycophagous nematodes than on microbivorous nematodes and minimum on Panagrolaimus sp. The average feeding duration of female F. composticola was 8 min and 31 sec and in the case of males it was 4 min and 11 sec.
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AFONSO, E., P. THULLIEZ, D. PONTIER, and E. GILOT-FROMONT. "Toxoplasmosis in prey species and consequences for prevalence in feral cats: not all prey species are equal." Parasitology 134, no. 14 (August 3, 2007): 1963–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182007003320.
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SUMMARYToxoplasma gondiiis largely transmitted to definitive felid hosts through predation. Not all prey species represent identical risks of infection for cats because of differences in prey susceptibility, exposure and/or lifespan. Previously published studies have shown that prevalence in rodent and lagomorph species is positively correlated with body mass. We tested the hypothesis that different prey species have different infection risks by comparing infection dynamics of feral cats at 4 sites in the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen archipelago which differed in prey availability. Cats were trapped from 1994 to 2004 and anti-T. gondiiIgG antibodies were detected using the modified agglutination test (⩾1:40). Overall seroprevalence was 51·09%. Antibody prevalence differed between sites, depending on diet and also on sex, after taking into account the effect of age. Males were more often infected than females and the difference between the sexes tended to be more pronounced in the site where more prey species were available. A difference in predation efficiency between male and female cats may explain this result. Overall, our results suggest that the composition of prey items in cat diet influences the risk ofT. gondiiinfection. Prey compositon should therefore be considered important in any understanding of infection dynamics ofT. gondii.
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Craig, Robert J. "Divergent Prey Selection in Two Species of Waterthrushes (Seiurus)." Auk 104, no. 2 (April 1, 1987): 180–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/104.2.180.
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Abstract I studied Louisiana (Seiurus motacilla) and Northern (S. noveboracensis) waterthrushes during an exceptionally dry spring to determine if environmental stress elicited interspecific competition. Previously, I had found little evidence for competition between these species despite wide overlap in foraging methods, use of foraging microhabitats, and characteristics of breeding habitat. I observed breeding adults forage by placing them in a portable flight cage located in natural habitat, and concurrently gathered data on the influence of waterthrush foraging on aquatic invertebrate prey and prey abundance. The species selected different prey. Louisiana Waterthrushes fed predominantly on Trichoptera larvae and on larger average prey than did Northern Waterthrushes, which fed predominantly on Diptera larvae. The species had similar foraging methods and attack rates, indicating that, unlike many Parulinae, their principal foraging differences were in prey selection rather than in means of locating prey. Experiments with foraging exclosures gave no clear evidence that waterthrushes affected prey biomass or composition. There was no significant relation between territory size vs. prey biomass and water cover. No interspecific aggression was observed, and territories overlapped widely, indicating that interference competition did not occur. Divergence in prey selection implies exploitive competition, but invertebrate and habitat data indicate that prey were not limiting, thus making competition for prey unnecessary. Therefore, from these data I cannot eliminate the alternative hypothesis that observed differences between the species may only reflect independent specialization.
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Sabagh, LT, VL Ferreira, and CFD Rocha. "Living together, sometimes feeding in a similar way: the case of the syntopic hylid frogs Hypsiboas raniceps and Scinax acuminatus (Anura: Hylidae) in the Pantanal of Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil." Brazilian Journal of Biology 70, no. 4 (November 2010): 955–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842010000500006.
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We studied the feeding ecology of two Hylinae anurans (Hypsiboas raniceps and Scinax acuminatus), living sympatrically and syntopically in the Pantanal of Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. The two hylid species had similar relative mouth width but differed in body size. The diet of the two frog species were composed of arthropodan prey. Both species consumed 11 different prey types, of which seven were common among them. Hypsiboas raniceps had a larger niche breadth (B A = 0.64) than S. acuminatus (B A = 0.48). Trophic niche overlap among frog species was 60.7 %. Our data are suggestive that although for many anurans the diet simply tend to reflect prey availability in the microhabitat, these two frog species, despite sharing similar microhabitat and period of activity (thus potentially exposed to a similar array of preys), tends to differ somewhat in diet (about 40%) which may result from some intrinsic ecological aspects to each of them (e.g. ecophysiology) and/or differences in body size.
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Mouadi, Jalal, Panayiotis Pafilis, Abderrafea Elbahi, Zahra Okba, Hassan ElOuizgani, El Hassan El Mouden, and Mohamed Aourir. "The effect of weight and prey species on gut passage time in an endemic gecko Quedenfeldtia moerens (Chabanaud, 1916) from Morocco." Acta Herpetologica 17, no. 1 (April 29, 2022): 21–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.36253/a_h-12326.
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Gut passage time (GPT), a key factor in digestive procedure, is of pivotal importance for digestion. Several parameters may affect GPT, such as temperature, length of gastrointestinal tract and body size. Here, we examine the influence of prey weight and prey species on GPT in the endemic diurnal gecko Quedenfeldtia moerens, from the Anti-Atlas Mountains in central Morocco. We used two prey species, house crickets (Acheta domesticus, AD) and mealworms (Tenebrio molitor, TM). Lizards were fed with the larval stage of TM and nymphs of AD. The influence of prey weight and prey species was tested at a constant temperature. We used three weight classes of each prey species to test the influence of prey weight on GPT. Our results showed that prey species affected GPT in a distinct way: mealworms induced a longer gut passage time compared to house crickets. Moreover, GPT increased with the increasing weight of prey for both prey species. Our finding demonstrates that the effect of prey species and prey weight affect digestion and thus should be better clarified in future studies.
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Garrone-Neto, Domingos, and Ivan Sazima. "Stirring, charging, and picking: hunting tactics of potamotrygonid rays in the upper Paraná River." Neotropical Ichthyology 7, no. 1 (March 2009): 113–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1679-62252009000100015.
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Hunting tactics of potamotrygonid freshwater rays remain unreported under natural conditions. Three main foraging tactics of Potamotrygon falkneri and P. motoro are described here based on underwater observations in the upper Paraná River. Both species displayed similar behaviors. The most common tactic was to undulate the disc margins close to, or on, the bottom and thus stirring the substrate and uncovering hidden preys. Another tactic was to charge upon prey concentrated in the shallows. The least common tactic was to pick out prey adhered to the substrate. The first tactic is widespread in several species of marine rays in the Dasyatidae, whereas the remainder (especially picking up prey on substrata above water surface) may be restricted to the Potamotrygonidae.
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Cuthbert, Ross N., James W. E. Dickey, Clare McMorrow, Ciaran Laverty, and Jaimie T. A. Dick. "Resistance is futile: lack of predator switching and a preference for native prey predict the success of an invasive prey species." Royal Society Open Science 5, no. 8 (August 2018): 180339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180339.
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Invasive species continue to severely impact biodiversity, yet predicting the success or failure of introduced species has remained elusive. In particular, the relationship between community invasibility and native species diversity remains obscure. Here, we apply two traditional ecological concepts that inform prey population stability and hence invasibility. We first show that the native predatory crustacean Gammarus duebeni celticus exhibited similar type II (destabilizing) functional responses (FRs) towards native mayfly prey and invasive amphipod prey, when these prey species were presented separately. However, when the two prey species were presented simultaneously, the predator did not exhibit prey switching, instead consuming disproportionately more native prey than expected from the relative abundance of native and invasive species. These consumptive propensities foster reductions of native prey, while simultaneously limiting biotic resistance against the invasive species by the native predator. Since our theoretical considerations and laboratory results match known field invasion patterns, we advocate the increased consideration of FR and prey switching studies to understand and predict the success of invasive species.
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Johnson, Andrew F., Maria Valls, Joan Moranta, Stuart R. Jenkins, Jan G. Hiddink, and Hilmar Hinz. "Effect of prey abundance and size on the distribution of demersal fishes." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 69, no. 1 (January 2012): 191–200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f2011-138.
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Many demersal fish species rely on benthic prey as food sources for part of, or in some cases, all of their life history. We investigated the relationships between prey and predator abundance and prey size and predator mouth gape size for nine demersal fish species. Of the species analysed, four showed a significant positive increase in abundance with increasing prey abundance. Prey size is thought to be an important parameter for demersal fish that are limited in their feeding potential by their mouth gape size, as it influences consumption rate and energy expenditure while foraging. The relationship between prey size and mouth gape was investigated using both stomach content data and prey availability data. Stomach content analysis revealed positive relationships between maximum prey size and predator mouth gape size for six of the species. Indications of prey size selectivity were only seen in the environment for European hake ( Merluccius merluccius ), highlighting the potential importance of prey size over prey abundance for this species. The results demonstrate that prey abundance and size are of significance for some demersal fish species feeding primarily on benthos and will help in defining habitat requirements of demersal fish species.
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Lipej, Lovrenc, Borut Mavrič, Roberto Odorico, and Urška Koce. "The diet of the Mediterranean Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii roosting along the Slovenian coast." Acrocephalus 37, no. 170-171 (December 1, 2016): 151–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/acro-2016-0008.
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Abstract Five hundred pellets of the Mediterranean Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii were collected at three roost-sites along the Slovenian coast and analysed. The diet was characterized mostly by the dominance of bottom dwelling fish species of the appropriate size. The Black Goby Gobius niger was the most dominant prey and represented the Shag’s main prey in the studied area (IRI% = 64.0). The results of the study confirm that the Mediterranean Shag preys mainly on fish species which are without commercial value for local fisheries.
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Falk, Jay J., Hannah M. ter Hofstede, Patricia L. Jones, Marjorie M. Dixon, Paul A. Faure, Elisabeth K. V. Kalko, and Rachel A. Page. "Sensory-based niche partitioning in a multiple predator–multiple prey community." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1808 (June 7, 2015): 20150520. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.0520.
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Many predators and parasites eavesdrop on the communication signals of their prey. Eavesdropping is typically studied as dyadic predator–prey species interactions; yet in nature, most predators target multiple prey species and most prey must evade multiple predator species. The impact of predator communities on prey signal evolution is not well understood. Predators could converge in their preferences for conspicuous signal properties, generating competition among predators and natural selection on particular prey signal features. Alternatively, predator species could vary in their preferences for prey signal properties, resulting in sensory-based niche partitioning of prey resources. In the Neotropics, many substrate-gleaning bats use the mate-attraction songs of male katydids to locate them as prey. We studied mechanisms of niche partitioning in four substrate-gleaning bat species and found they are similar in morphology, echolocation signal design and prey-handling ability, but each species preferred different acoustic features of male song in 12 sympatric katydid species. This divergence in predator preference probably contributes to the coexistence of many substrate-gleaning bat species in the Neotropics, and the substantial diversity in the mate-attraction signals of katydids. Our results provide insight into how multiple eavesdropping predator species might influence prey signal evolution through sensory-based niche partitioning.
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Pech, R. P., A. R. E. Sinclair, and A. E. Newsome. "Predation models for primary and secondary prey species." Wildlife Research 22, no. 1 (1995): 55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9950055.
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In Australia, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a generalist predator of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and a range of small to medium-sized native species. The available evidence suggests that foxes are capable of regulating rabbits in semi-arid environments but their role in the population dynamics of other prey species is not clear. A series of models, and associated experimental tests, that compare the effects of predation on primary and secondary prey species are described. The models are appropriate to the time scale of prey dynamics and differ from recent predator–prey models that focus on predator dynamics. These ideas are discussed for the fox and several of its prey species in Australia.
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Boates, J. Sherman, and John D. Goss-Custard. "Foraging behaviour of oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus specializing on different species of prey." Canadian Journal of Zoology 70, no. 12 (December 1, 1992): 2398–404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z92-321.
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Adult oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus specializing on four prey species, the mussel Mytilus edulis, the winkle Littorina littorea, the ragworm Nereis diversicolor, and the clam Scrobicularia plana, were compared. Some clear trends from mussels to winkles to clams to worms were identified. First, mean biomass (size) of prey decreased but more prey were attacked per unit time and, since fewer attacks were aborted, more prey were actually captured per unit time. Second, handling time decreased, and birds raised their heads less often while handling a prey item and carried prey less frequently. Third, foraging density, attack rate, and avoidance rate all decreased. However, average rates of food intake did not follow the same order and were inconsistent with the expected preference for prey. The greatest intake rate was achieved by birds specializing on clams, the least preferred prey. The rate of intake of mussels, the most preferred prey, was significantly lower. Alternatives to the energy rate maximization model to explain prey preference are discussed and dismissed. The results of this study contrast with those from several studies on prey-size selection within a single prey species, which show that oystercatchers prefer prey that maximize their intake rates. We suggest that the basis for selecting a prey species and for selecting different size classes within one prey species may be quite different.
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Whitford, Malachi D., Grace A. Freymiller, Timothy E. Higham, and Rulon W. Clark. "Shaking things up: the unique feeding behaviour of western banded geckos when consuming scorpions." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 135, no. 3 (January 5, 2022): 533–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blab167.
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Abstract Predators that feed on dangerous prey species must evolve mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of injury or death during a predation attempt. Scorpions are prime examples of dangerous prey items for insectivores, because they can inflict a venomous and potentially fatal sting when attacked. Despite this risk, the western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus), a generalist insectivore, occasionally preys on dune scorpions (Smeringurus mesaensis). We use high-speed videography to examine the modulation of prey capture biomechanics in relationship to prey type. The capture of undefended evasive (cricket) and non-evasive (worms) prey follows previous studies of lizard attack kinematics. However, we have discovered a unique shake-feeding behaviour used by western banded geckos when feeding on scorpions, whereby the gecko bites the scorpion, then performs very rapid side-to-side shaking with its head and body. Given the speed and violence of shake-feeding, we suggest that geckos shake the scorpion to cause mass trauma and subsequent immobility or, potentially, to break the stinger and render the scorpion harmless. This behaviour might be widespread among geckos that feed on these dangerous prey species.
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Meng, Xin-You, Ni-Ni Qin, and Hai-Feng Huo. "Dynamics analysis of a predator–prey system with harvesting prey and disease in prey species." Journal of Biological Dynamics 12, no. 1 (January 1, 2018): 342–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17513758.2018.1454515.
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Huggard, David J. "Prey selectivity of wolves in Banff National Park. I. Prey species." Canadian Journal of Zoology 71, no. 1 (January 1, 1993): 130–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z93-019.
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I examined the components generating selectivity in wolves preying on five ungulate species in Banff National Park, Alberta. Overall selectivity for elk and deer species, and apparent avoidance of bighorn sheep and mountain goats, were due primarily to lower habitat overlap of wolves with the latter two species, and therefore lower encounter rates. For social ungulates, I argue that the herd should be considered the unit of encounter, with encounter rates proportional to the number of herds rather than the number of individuals. However, large herds predictably associated with certain areas may be visited intentionally by wolves, increasing effective encounter rates. Foraging theory suggests that all ungulate prey should be equally profitable to wolves upon encounter and therefore the factors affecting encounter rates are critical in determining prey selectivity. A simple model incorporating different habitat overlap, herd sizes, and predictable herds predicts qualitatively different functional responses of wolves to changes in density of the different prey types. The model also demonstrates how apparent selectivity for a prey type can result from the different ways in which prey are encountered.
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Greenhalgh, David, and Mainul Haque. "A predator–prey model with disease in the prey species only." Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences 30, no. 8 (2007): 911–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mma.815.
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Savill, Nicholas J., and Paulien Hogeweg. "Evolutionary Stagnation Due to Pattern-Pattern Interactions in a Coevolutionary Predator-Prey Model." Artificial Life 3, no. 2 (April 1997): 81–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/artl.1997.3.2.81.
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We consider a spatially stmctured model of a coevolutionary predator-prey system with interactions in a one-dimensional phenotype space. We show that in phenotype space predators and prey organize themselves into distinct clusters of phenotypes called quasi-species. The prey quasi-species also cluster in patches in real space. As the prey quasi-species evolve away from the predator quasi-species (in phenotype space) the prey patch size reduces and the single predator quasi-species is inhibited from evolving toward either of the two prey species. We show that it is the interaction between the phenotype space patterns (quasi-species) and the real space patterns (patches) that inhibit the predators from evolving.
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Gkana, Amalia, and Loukas Zachilas. "Non-overlapping Generation Species: Complex Prey–Predator Interactions." International Journal of Nonlinear Sciences and Numerical Simulation 16, no. 5 (August 1, 2015): 207–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ijnsns-2014-0121.
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AbstractIn this paper we study a prey–predator dynamical system suitable for species having no overlap between successive generations. Assuming that population evolves in discrete-time steps we investigate the prey refuge effect on prey–predator interactions. Stability analysis is applied in order to investigate the local stability properties of the fixed points of our modified model. Numerical simulation tools, such as parametric basins of attraction, phase plots, bifurcation and Lyapunov exponent diagrams are used in order to study further the complex dynamics of the system. It is shown that our modified prey–predator model exhibits a wider array of dynamics than its continuous counterpart. Adding an average refuge destabilizes the prey–predator interactions via a supercritical Neimark–Sacker bifurcation and several period-doubling bifurcations. Finally, the addition of a large refuge exhibits random-like dynamics leading to outbreaks in the prey population density. We show that reproduction in certain intervals is important and should be taken into account since it could help in the identification of insect pest population outbreaks.
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McCard, Monica, Josie South, Ross N. Cuthbert, James W. E. Dickey, Nathan McCard, and Jaimie T. A. Dick. "Pushing the switch: functional responses and prey switching by invasive lionfish may mediate their ecological impact." Biological Invasions 23, no. 6 (March 5, 2021): 2019–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02487-7.
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AbstractBiodiversity is declining on a global scale and the spread of invasive alien species (IAS) is a major driver, particularly through predatory impacts. Thus, effective means of assessing and predicting the consequences of IAS predation on native prey population stability remains a vital goal for conservation. Here, we applied two classic ecological concepts, consumer functional response (FR) and prey switching, to predict and understand the ecological impacts of juveniles of the lionfish (Pterois volitans), a notorious and widespread marine invader. Functional responses and prey switching propensities were quantified towards three representative prey species: Artemia salina, Palaemonetes varians, and Gammarus oceanicus. Lionfish exhibited potentially destabilising Type II FRs towards individual prey species, owing to high consumption rates at low prey densities, whilst FR magnitudes differed among prey species. Functional response attack rates (a) were highest, and handling times (h) lowest, towards A. salina, followed by P. varians and then G. oceanicus. Maximum feeding rates (1/h) and functional response ratios (FRR; a/h) also followed this impact gradient for the three prey species. Lionfish, however, displayed a potentially population stabilising prey switching propensity (i.e. frequency-dependent predation) when multiple prey species were presented simultaneously, where disproportionately less of rare prey, and more of abundant prey, were consumed. Whilst FR and FRR magnitudes indicate marked per capita lionfish predatory impacts towards prey species, a strong prey switching propensity may reduce in-field impacts by offering low density prey refuge in biodiverse communities. Our results thus corroborate field patterns documenting variable impacts of lionfish, with prey extirpations less likely in diverse communities owing to frequency-dependent predation.
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Cocke, Robert, and D. Del Thiessen. "Chemocommunication among prey and predator species." Animal Learning & Behavior 14, no. 1 (March 1986): 90–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/bf03200042.
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Bradshaw, A. T., and L. L. Moseley. "Dynamics of competing predator–prey species." Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications 261, no. 1-2 (December 1998): 107–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0378-4371(98)00365-3.
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Barragán-Ramírez, José Luis, Benjamín Hernández, María Guadalupe Velarde-Aguilar, Oscar Pérez-Flores, José Luis Navarrete-Heredia, and Eduardo Pineda. "Feeding habits of Lithobates megapoda (Anura: Ranidae), a threatened leopard frog used for human consumption, in Lake Chapala, Mexico." Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology 20, no. 1 (June 22, 2021): 75–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v20i1p75-88.
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The Big-footed Leopard Frog (Lithobates megapoda) is a threatened and endemic species from western Mexico. This species has aquatic habits and it is distinguished by its large size, particularly by the length of its legs, reason for which it is captured for human consumption. Also, knowledge about its natural history is scarce and incomplete. In this study, we analyzed the composition of the diet of L. megapoda on the shore of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. A total of 69 adult individuals were collected lifeless in fishing nets, during the rainy season (June-October), of which 48 had stomach contents. A total of 96 prey items were identified, which correspond to 13 prey categories. Fish constituted the most dominant prey category in the diet in terms of number, volume, frequency of occurrence, and relative importance. No significant differences were found in the consumption by prey type (aquatic or terrestrial). However, the aquatic preys had a greater relative importance and were more voluminous than the terrestrial ones. The diversity of prey categories, in terms of prey volume, indicates males may have a higher dietary diversity than females, but we not evaluated possible bias. In addition, a significant effect was found in the interaction of size (SVL) of frogs with the average of prey volume. Females (that are larger than males) consumed prey within a wide volume range and, the larger they are, more voluminous are prey. In this way it is possible that intraspecific competition for trophic resources in the environment is reduced. This study helps us understand the trophic ecology of L. megapoda, a frog species that plays an important role in the food web where it lives, as a predator feeding on aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
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Kundu, Soumen, and Sarit Maitra. "Dynamical behaviour of a delayed three species predator–prey model with cooperation among the prey species." Nonlinear Dynamics 92, no. 2 (January 30, 2018): 627–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11071-018-4079-3.
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Sato, Nozomu. "Prey-tracking behavior and prey preferences in a tree-climbing firefly." PeerJ 7 (December 16, 2019): e8080. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8080.
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Prey-tracking behavior is common in snail-killing predators, but in the family Lampyridae, this behavior has been validated in only a single species even though this Coleopteran family includes many specialist snail predators. The endemic firefly Pyrocoelia atripennis is a major snail-killing predator in the Yaeyama Islands of Japan, and the larvae often climb on the trees and grasses at night. This tree-climbing behavior is relevant to larval food choices and anti-predatory defenses of land snails. This study examined whether lampyrid larvae can track snail mucus trails and examined larval prey preferences using alternative choice experiments. In addition, predation trials were conducted to evaluate which snail species are potential prey. P. atripennis larvae significantly selected mucous trails over distilled water or control (no-trail) treatments. In addition, a semi-arboreal species was preferred over a ground-dwelling species. In predation trials, the larvae preyed on five out of 10 endemic snail species, all of which were semi-arboreal or arboreal species. Ground-dwelling Cyclophoridae and Aegista species have effective anti-predatory defenses consisting of an operculum or “foamy-lid” that fills the shell aperture. Whether the prey has a lid affects the predation success of lampyrid larvae, and larval tree-climbing behavior may be an adaptation used to search for semi-arboreal and arboreal land snails that lack defensive lids. Furthermore, snail mucus left on the plant stem may help the lampyrid larvae to locate their prey.
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Parthasarathy, Bharat, and Hema Somanathan. "Behavioral responses vary with prey species in the social spider, Stegodyphus sarasinorum." Behavioral Ecology 30, no. 4 (April 22, 2019): 938–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arz032.
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Abstract Predators living in social groups often show consistent interindividual differences in prey capture behavior that may be linked to personality. Though personality predisposes individuals for certain behaviors, responses can also be influenced by context. Studies examining personality-dependent participation in prey capture have largely employed only one prey species, offering the predator no choice. In nature, predators encounter a range of prey species, therefore participation in or leading a prey capture event must also depend on prey attributes (e.g., size and risk). In the social spider Stegodyphus sarasinorum, collective prey capture is mediated by personality types as a consequence of which some individuals are consistently more likely to attack. Here, we examined if an individual’s consistency to attack persisted within and between the 2 prey species (honeybees and grasshoppers) and if the same individuals attacked first with both prey species. Our results showed that interindividual differences in attacking persisted within and between the 2 prey species. Spiders showed greater participation in attacking grasshoppers relative to bees. Identities of the first attackers were not the same for bees and grasshoppers. Spiders showed greater consistency over time in attacking bees relative to grasshoppers. Bees attracted fewer attackers than size-matched grasshoppers. These results suggest that greater task specialization may be necessary to successfully subdue bees. Spiders handled bees more cautiously, which is likely to explain the observed plasticity in attacking the 2 prey species. Thus, participation in prey capture in social spiders is influenced by the attributes of prey species.
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Horváth, Márton, Béla Solti, Imre Fatér, Tibor Juhász, László Haraszthy, Tamás Szitta, Zsuzsanna Ballók, and Szilvia Pásztory-Kovács. "Temporal changes in the diet composition of the Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) in Hungary." Ornis Hungarica 26, no. 1 (June 1, 2018): 1–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/orhu-2018-0001.
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Abstract The diet composition of breeding Eastern Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca) was analysed in Hungary between 2005 and 2017, and compared with two previously published datasets from the periods of 1982–1991 and 1992–2004. Altogether the distribution of 8543 prey items of 126 different species and 29 other taxa were analysed within a 36-years period. We found that the previously abundant Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) became marginal (7.42%), while European Sousliks (Spermophilus citellus) practically disappeared (0.03%) from the diet of Imperial Eagles. Small game species, like the Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and the Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) composed a remarkable part of the diet (11.22% and 28.11% respectively), which raised some conflicts with hunters regionally and probably also contributed to the high prevalence of persecution incidents against the eagles. In parallel with the loss of traditional prey species, corvids (13.10%), pigeons (8.90%), waterbirds (6.83%), other rodents (6.71%), Roe Deers (Capreolus capreolus) (5.59%), raptors and owls (4.88%) became regularly detected prey species. The temporal changes of the main prey categories were analysed between 1998 and 2017, when the ratio of Hamster and Pheasant showed significant decrease (-27.29% and -6.38%, respectively). The ratio of Brown Hare also showed slight decrease (-3.98%), but the change was not significant. On the other hand, the ratio of corvids, waterbirds and Roe Deers within the diet showed significant increase (+18.20%, +6.25% and +5.39%, respectively). The observed flexibility in the foraging behaviour of Imperial Eagles greatly facilitate conservation efforts, as they seems to be able to utilize the most abundant prey sources, i.e. they were not depending solely from the status of any single specific prey source. However, eagles could only shift and survive in those regions, where their traditional preys decreased, if alternative species were available for them.
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SZWABIǸSKI, JANUSZ, ANDRZEJ PȨKALSKI, and KAMIL TROJAN. "COMPETITION AND PREDATION IN A THREE SPECIES MODEL." International Journal of Modern Physics C 17, no. 11 (November 2006): 1629–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0129183106010078.
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A model of dynamics of three interacting species is presented. Two of the species are prey and one is predator, which feeds on both prey, however with some preference to one type. Prey compete for space (breeding) although they always have access to food. Predators in order to survive and reproduce must catch prey, otherwise they die of hunger. The dynamics of the model is found via differential equations in the mean-field like approach and through computer simulations for agent-based method. We show that the coexistence of the three species is possible in the mean-field model, provided the preference of the predators is small, whereas from simulation it follows that the stochastic fluctuations drive, generally, one of the prey populations into extinction. We have found a different type of behavior for small and large systems and a rather unexpected dependence of the coexistence chance of the preference parameter in bigger lattices.
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Sharief, Amira, Vineet Kumar, Hemant Singh, Tanoy Mukherjee, Ritam Dutta, Bheem Dutt Joshi, Saurav Bhattacharjee, et al. "Landscape use and co-occurrence pattern of snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and its prey species in the fragile ecosystem of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh." PLOS ONE 17, no. 7 (July 21, 2022): e0271556. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271556.
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The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the high mountain ecosystem by regulating prey populations and maintaining plant community structure. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the role of the snow leopard and its interaction with prey species. Further, elucidating landscape use and co-occurrence of snow leopard and its prey species can be used to assess the differential use of habitat, allowing them to coexist. We used camera trapping and sign survey to study the interactions of snow leopard and its prey species (Siberian Ibex- Capra sibrica and Blue sheep-Pseudois nayaur) in the Spiti valley Himachal Pradesh. Using the occupancy modelling, we examined whether these prey and predator species occur together more or less frequently than would be expected by chance. To understand this, we have used ten covariates considering the ecology of the studied species. Our results suggest habitat covariates, such as LULC16 (barren area), LULC10 (grassland), ASP (aspect), SLP (slope) and DW (distance to water), are important drivers of habitat use for the snow leopard as well as its prey species. Furthermore, we found that the snow leopard detection probability was high if the site was used by its prey species, i.e., ibex and blue sheep. Whereas, in the case of the prey species, the probability of detection was low when the predator (snow leopard) was present and detected. Besides this, our results suggested that both species were less likely to detect together than expected if they were independent (Snow leopard—Ibex, Delta = 0.29, and snow leopard—blue sheep, Delta = 0.28, both the values are <1, i.e., avoidance). Moreover, despite the predation pressure, the differential anti-predation habitat selection and restriction of temporal activities by the prey species when snow leopard is present allows them to co-exist. Therefore, considering the strong link between the habitat use by the snow leopard and its prey species, it is imperative to generate quantitative long-term data on predator-prey densities and the population dynamics of its prey species in the landscape.
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Gregory, J. E. "Electric Fields Generated by Monotreme Prey Species." Australian Mammalogy 20, no. 2 (1998): 171. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am98171.
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The electric sense of the platypus may be used for the detection of prey, as may the similar but less elaborate electrosensory system in the echidna. However, for neither animal has this been shown directly. In this study, further support for the feasibility of an electrosensory role in prey detection was sought by determining whether potential prey items of either animal generate electric fields with appropriate characteristics. Prey items were placed in tap water and recordings made with a pair of electrodes placed near the specimen. Movement-related electric fields of a few to a few hundred µVcm-1 in amplitude were generated by a number of items including shrimps, fish, earthworms, mealworms and cockchafer larvae. Some recorded potentials were at a frequency consistent with an electromyogenic origin, while others were at a lower frequency and seemed more related to the movements of the animal itself than to the underlying muscle activity. No electric fields could be recorded from several other small invertebrate species tested. It is concluded that the platypus would be able to detect some prey items at close range by sensing the electric fields they generate, but this has not been demonstrated for the echidna.
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deVries, Maya S. "The role of feeding morphology and competition in governing the diet breadth of sympatric stomatopod crustaceans." Biology Letters 13, no. 4 (April 2017): 20170055. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0055.
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Competition for food drives divergence and specialization in feeding morphology. Stomatopod crustaceans have two kinds of highly specialized feeding appendages: either elongate spear-like appendages ( spearers ) used to ambush soft-bodied evasive prey or hammer-like appendages ( smashers ) that produce extremely high forces used both to break hard-shelled prey and to capture evasive prey. To evaluate associations between appendage type and feeding ecology, the diet of two small smasher and spearer species (size range: 21–27 mm) that co-occur were compared. Stable isotope analysis and the Bayesian mixing model MixSIAR were used to estimate the proportional contributions of prey types to the diet. Both species had relatively wide diets that included hard-shelled and soft-bodied prey, albeit in different proportions; the smasher consumed a greater proportion of hard-shelled prey, and the spearer consumed mostly soft-bodied prey. Appendage kinematics in stomatopods is known to scale linearly across species. These two small species may produce similar kinematics allowing them both to capture evasive prey and hammer hard-shelled prey, thereby widening their diets. Yet, the spearer species is more highly adept at capturing evasive prey, indicating that small spearers are stronger competitors for soft-bodied prey. These findings suggest that a smasher's ability to access hard prey reduced competition for soft prey, and therefore conferred an important benefit favouring the evolution of the impressive smashing strike.
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Childerhouse, Simon, Bruce Dix, and Nick Gales. "Diet of New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) at the Auckland Islands." Wildlife Research 28, no. 3 (2001): 291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr00063.
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Scat and regurgitate samples (n = 206) from New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) were collected at the Auckland Islands between December 1994 and February 1997. Most (82%) samples were collected during three summer seasons while the remainder (18%) were collected during a single winter season. Thirty-three taxa were identified from 3523 prey items. The six most abundant prey species accounted for 90% of all prey items. The two most numerically abundant prey species, octopus (Enteroctopus zelandicus) and opalfish (Hemerocoetes species) made up almost 50% of total prey items. Other important prey species included lobster krill (Munida gregaria), hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae), oblique-banded rattail (Coelorhynchus aspercephalus), and salps (Pyrosoma atlanticum). New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and seabirds were also identified in samples. New Zealand sea lions are generalist feeders utilising a wide variety of prey items, with fish comprising the most common taxa (59%) numerically and both cephalopods (21%) and crustacea (15%) forming lesser, but still important, parts of the diet. Prey taxa identified indicate that New Zealand sea lions are utilising a wide variety of benthic, demersal and pelagic species ranging from the inter-tidal zone to waters deeper than 300 m. New Zealand sea lions at the Auckland Islands target different prey species to New Zealand sea lions at other locations although they have broadly consistent prey types, with fish as the major taxa. There is only a small overlap of New Zealand sea lion prey species with commercially targeted species on the Auckland Islands Shelf in the months sampled.
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Quiroga, María Fernanda, Marcos Vaira, and Maria Ines Bonansea. "Population diet variation and individual specialization in the poison toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris (Vellard, 1947)." Amphibia-Reptilia 32, no. 2 (2011): 261–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/017353710x546530.
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AbstractFew studies have investigated the level of individual variation in diet composition of poisonous frogs and toads. We compare the diet composition of three populations of a poisonous toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris, and predicted that toads within a population might be constrained to forage on particular types of alkaloid-containing prey and consequently diets among populations might not diverge from each other. Most important prey categories in the diets of the three populations consisted of the same ground-dwelling arthropods. We found evidence for individuals consuming different arrays of prey types in all populations implying that this “generalist” species is actually comprised of individuals eating different sets of the available range of prey. Formicidae, Acari, and Coleoptera were all important alkaloid-containing prey items in the diets of all populations and individuals, although there were differences in their order of importance among populations and individuals use different sets of the entire range of alkaloid-containing preys. Future research should evaluate individual diet variation in other poisonous anurans taxa given that shifts in diet composition might have important implications for understanding the consequences of alternate foraging strategies in the evolution of defensive strategies among species.
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Lyons, Keith, Michel M. Dugon, and Kevin Healy. "Diet Breadth Mediates the Prey Specificity of Venom Potency in Snakes." Toxins 12, no. 2 (January 23, 2020): 74. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxins12020074.
Full textAbstract:
Venoms are best known for their ability to incapacitate prey. In predatory groups, venom potency is predicted to reflect ecological and evolutionary drivers relating to diet. While venoms have been found to have prey-specific potencies, the role of diet breadth on venom potencies has yet to be tested at large macroecological scales. Here, using a comparative analysis of 100 snake species, we show that the evolution of prey-specific venom potencies is contingent on the breadth of a species’ diet. We find that while snake venom is more potent when tested on species closely related to natural prey items, we only find this prey-specific pattern in species with taxonomically narrow diets. While we find that the taxonomic diversity of a snakes’ diet mediates the prey specificity of its venom, the species richness of its diet was not found to affect these prey-specific potency patterns. This indicates that the physiological diversity of a species’ diet is an important driver of the evolution of generalist venom potencies. These findings suggest that the venoms of species with taxonomically diverse diets may be better suited to incapacitating novel prey species and hence play an important role for species within changing environments.
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Piccolo, John J., Nicholas F. Hughes, and Mason D. Bryant. "Water velocity influences prey detection and capture by drift-feeding juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus)." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65, no. 2 (February 1, 2008): 266–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f07-172.
Full textAbstract:
We examined the effects of water velocity on prey detection and capture by drift-feeding juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (sea-run rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus) in laboratory experiments. We used repeated-measures analysis of variance to test the effects of velocity, species, and the velocity × species interaction on prey capture probability, prey detection distance, and swimming speeds during prey capture. We used 3D video analysis to assess the spatial and temporal characteristics of prey detection and capture. Coho and steelhead showed significant, velocity-dependent decreases in capture probability (~65% to 10%, with an increase of velocity from 0.29 to 0.61 m·s-1) and prey detection distance, with no effect of species and no velocity × species interaction. Neither velocity nor species affected prey interception speed; fish intercepted prey at their predicted maximum sustainable swimming speed (Vmax) at all velocities. Speed of return to the focal point increased significantly with increasing velocity, with no effect of species. At faster velocities, return speeds were faster than Vmax, indicating potential increases in energetic cost because of anaerobic swimming. The 3D analysis suggests that the reduction in capture probability was due to both reduced prey detection distance and a uniform decline in detection probability within the prey capture area.
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CHEN, LIUJUAN, and FENGDE CHEN. "GLOBAL ANALYSIS OF A HARVESTED PREDATOR–PREY MODEL INCORPORATING A CONSTANT PREY REFUGE." International Journal of Biomathematics 03, no. 02 (June 2010): 205–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s1793524510000957.
Full textAbstract:
A predator–prey model with Holling type II functional response incorporating a constant prey refuge and independent harvesting in either species is investigated. Some sufficient conditions of the instability and stability properties to the equilibria and the existence and uniqueness to limit cycles for the model are obtained. We also show that influence of prey refuge and harvesting efforts on equilibrium density values. One of the surprising finding is that for fixed prey refuge, harvesting has no influence on the final density of the prey species, while the density of predator species is decreasing with the increasing of harvesting effort on prey species and the fixation of harvesting effort on predator species. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the obtained results and the dependence of the dynamic behavior on the harvesting efforts or prey refuge.
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Provost, Caroline, Éric Lucas, Daniel Coderre, and Gérald Chouinard. "Prey Selection by the Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis: The Influence of Prey Mobility and Prey Species." Journal of Insect Behavior 19, no. 2 (March 2006): 265–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10905-006-9023-6.
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Borme, Diego, Sara Legovini, Alessandra de Olazabal, and Valentina Tirelli. "Diet of Adult Sardine Sardina pilchardus in the Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 10, no. 8 (July 25, 2022): 1012. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jmse10081012.
Full textAbstract:
Food availability is thought to exert a bottom-up control on the population dynamics of small pelagic fish; therefore, studies on trophic ecology are essential to improve their management. Sardina pilchardus is one of the most important commercial species in the Adriatic Sea, yet there is little information on its diet in this area. Adult sardines were caught in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic) from spring 2006 to winter 2007. Experimental catches conducted over 24-h cycles in May, June and July showed that the sardines foraged mainly in the late afternoon. A total of 96 adult sardines were analysed: the number of prey varied from a minimum of 305 to a maximum of 3318 prey/stomach, with an overall mean of 1259 ± 884 prey/stomach. Prey items were identified to the lowest possible taxonomical level, counted and measured at the stereo-microscope. Overall, sardines fed on a wide range of planktonic organisms (87 prey items from 17 μm to 18.4 mm were identified), with copepods being the most abundant prey (56%) and phytoplankton never exceeding 10% of the prey. Copepods of the Clauso-Paracalanidae group and of the genus Oncaea were by far the most important prey. The carbon content of prey items was indirectly estimated from prey dry mass or body volume. Almost all carbon uptake relied on a few groups of zooplankton. Ivlev’s selectivity index showed that sardines positively selected small preys (small copepods < 1 mm size), but also larger preys (such as teleost eggs, decapod larvae and chaetognaths), confirming their adaptive feeding capacity.