1
|
La Cava S, Rijllo G, Zucco G, Innocenti S, Guasti M, Puletti N, Ferrara C, Scalercio S. Moths in space: The below-canopy structure of forest drives abundance and mobility-related traits of moth communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171056. [PMID: 38382613 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The distribution of species is primarily driven by the availability of trophic resources. In a given forest type, insects trophically related to the dominant tree are expected to be evenly distributed due to the abundance of their foodplant. However, their distribution is also influenced by complex relationships with abiotic and biotic parameters such as available space, predatory pressure, and morphometric traits. In this study, we investigated how the three-dimensional structure of space below the canopy may affect the composition of nocturnal lepidoptera communities. To synthesise the complexity of the dispersal behaviour of these insects, we evaluated easily measurable traits such as wingspan and the presence of tympanic organs, both connected to their mobility and thus potentially influenced by the structure of the available flight space. The study was conducted in the Sila National Park (Italy), where 12 sampling sites were selected in pine forests and an additional 12 in beech forests. Forest spatial structure was investigated using a portable terrestrial laser scanner. Moths were sampled monthly using light traps from May to October in both 2019 and 2020. Among measured forest traits, we observed that the space above three meters from the ground is the only factor influencing community composition. Larger species with tympanic organs prefer environments with less space below tree canopies. Our findings could be the starting point for future studies that investigate a potential defence strategy of moths against bats, as tympanate and larger species not only actively avoid chiropter predation but could also choose denser forests because of a lower bat activity. Moths' distribution and community composition thus appear to be significantly shaped by the spatial structure of forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara La Cava
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-87036 Rende, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Rijllo
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Giada Zucco
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Simone Innocenti
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy
| | - Matteo Guasti
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy
| | - Nicola Puletti
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy
| | - Carlotta Ferrara
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-00166 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Scalercio
- Council for agricultural research and economics, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, I-87036 Rende, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Simon R, Dreissen A, Leroy H, Berg MP, Halfwerk W. Acoustic camouflage increases with body size and changes with bat echolocation frequency range in a community of nocturnally active Lepidoptera. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2363-2372. [PMID: 37882060 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Body size is an important trait in predator-prey dynamics as it is often linked to detection, as well as the success of capture or escape. Larger prey, for example, often runs higher risk of detection by their predators, which imposes stronger selection on their anti-predator traits compared to smaller prey. Nocturnal Lepidoptera (moths) vary strongly in body size, which has consequences for their predation risk, as bigger moths return stronger echoes for echolocating bats. To compensate for increased predation risk, larger moths are therefore expected to have improved anti-predator defences. Moths are covered by different types of scales, which for a few species are known to absorb ultrasound, thus providing acoustic camouflage. Here, we assessed whether moths differ in their acoustic camouflage in a size-dependent way by focusing on their body scales and the different frequency ranges used by bats. We used a sonar head to measure 3D echo scans of a total of 111 moth specimens across 58 species, from eight different families of Lepidoptera. We scanned all the specimens and related their echo-acoustic target strength to various body size measurements. Next, we removed the scales covering the thorax and abdomen and scanned a subset of specimens again to assess the sound absorptive properties of these scales. Comparing intact specimens with descaled specimens, we found almost all species to absorb ultrasound, reducing detection risk on average by 8%. Furthermore, the sound absorptive capacities of body scales increased with body size suggesting that larger species benefit more from acoustic camouflage. The size-dependent effect of camouflage was in particular pronounced for the higher frequencies (above 29 kHz), with moth species belonging to large-bodied families consequently demonstrating similar target strengths compared to species from small-bodied families. Finally, we found the families to differ in frequency range that provided the largest reduction in detection risk, which may be related to differences in predation pressure and predator communities of these families. In general, our findings have important implications for predator-prey interactions across eco-evolutionary timescales and may suggest that acoustic camouflage played a role in body size evolution of nocturnally active Lepidoptera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Simon
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Lab, Nuremberg Zoo, Nuremberg, Germany
- Machine Learning and Data Analytics Lab, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alrike Dreissen
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Helene Leroy
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matty P Berg
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li Y, Jiao H, Sin SYW, Wang R, Rossiter SJ, Zhao H. Common ancestors of bats were omnivorous suggested by resurrection of ancestral sweet receptors. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2023; 68:1748-1751. [PMID: 37500405 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yingcan Li
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of the Ministry of Education, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Hengwu Jiao
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Simon Yung Wa Sin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Ruiqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of the Ministry of Education, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Huabin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of the Ministry of Education, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Spatial and temporal changes in moth assemblages along an altitudinal gradient, Jeju-do island. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20534. [PMID: 36446881 PMCID: PMC9709042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24600-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Montane species on islands attract attention due to their small and isolated populations and limited dispersal potential, making them vulnerable to extinction. We investigated the diversity pattern of moth assemblages over the 12-years-period (2009-2020) at 11 study plots on an island mountain (Mount Hallasan, Jeju-do Island, South Korea) to assess the changes in the moth assemblages in terms of species composition, richness, and abundances. We expected to find a decline in the number of species at these sites, given the reported decline in similar taxa in other temperate regions, such as Europe and North America. In contrast, we found that the numbers of species and individuals of moth populations on the island mountain have not significantly changed, except at the high-elevation sites, where the number of species has increased. Our results also show that the numbers of species and individuals are closely related to energy availability, actual evapotranspiration. Moreover, we found that the species composition during the study period has not been greatly changed, except at the lowermost and uppermost elevations. The mechanism driving this high dissimilarity of moth assemblages differed: the low-elevation site experienced high temporal turnover, and the high elevation sites also experienced high temporal turnover and nestedness resulting from active species replacement due to a recent forest fire and vegetation changes and the geographic and ecological constraints of the high elevations. To date, the moth species diversity of the temperate forests of the island mountain is not showing a drastic change. However, we observed that the moth assemblages had changed the number of species and individuals at low and high elevations. Given the biological and ecological limitations of moths (ectothermic organisms with limited habitat range) and considering the results of our study, we infer that climate change has impacted the diversity and species composition of moths on the island mountain.
Collapse
|
5
|
Lukach M, Dally T, Evans W, Hassall C, Duncan EJ, Bennett L, Addison FI, Kunin WE, Chapman JW, Neely RR. The development of an unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of dual-polarization weather surveillance radar observations to assess nocturnal insect abundance and diversity. REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 2022; 8:698-716. [PMID: 36588588 PMCID: PMC9790603 DOI: 10.1002/rse2.270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Contemporary analyses of insect population trends are based, for the most part, on a large body of heterogeneous and short-term datasets of diurnal species that are representative of limited spatial domains. This makes monitoring changes in insect biomass and biodiversity difficult. What is needed is a method for monitoring that provides a consistent, high-resolution picture of insect populations through time over large areas during day and night. Here, we explore the use of X-band weather surveillance radar (WSR) for the study of local insect populations using a high-quality, multi-week time series of nocturnal moth light trapping data. Specifically, we test the hypotheses that (i) unsupervised data-driven classification algorithms can differentiate meteorological and biological phenomena, (ii) the diversity of the classes of bioscatterers are quantitatively related to the diversity of insects as measured on the ground and (iii) insect abundance measured at ground level can be predicted quantitatively based on dual-polarization Doppler WSR variables. Adapting the quasi-vertical profile analysis method and data clustering techniques developed for the analysis of hydrometeors, we demonstrate that our bioscatterer classification algorithm successfully differentiates bioscatterers from hydrometeors over a large spatial scale and at high temporal resolutions. Furthermore, our results also show a clear relationship between biological and meteorological scatterers and a link between the abundance and diversity of radar-based bioscatterer clusters and that of nocturnal aerial insects. Thus, we demonstrate the potential utility of this approach for landscape scale monitoring of biodiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryna Lukach
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Leeds71‐75 Clarendon Rd, WoodhouseLeedsLS2 9PHUK
| | - Thomas Dally
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - William Evans
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Leeds71‐75 Clarendon Rd, WoodhouseLeedsLS2 9PHUK
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Christopher Hassall
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Elizabeth J. Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Lindsay Bennett
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Leeds71‐75 Clarendon Rd, WoodhouseLeedsLS2 9PHUK
| | - Freya I. Addison
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Leeds71‐75 Clarendon Rd, WoodhouseLeedsLS2 9PHUK
| | - William E. Kunin
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Jason W. Chapman
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, and Environment and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of ExeterPenryn, CornwallTR10 9FEUK
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant ProtectionNanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing210095People's Republic of China
| | - Ryan R. Neely
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Leeds71‐75 Clarendon Rd, WoodhouseLeedsLS2 9PHUK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hamilton CA, Winiger N, Rubin JJ, Breinholt J, Rougerie R, Kitching IJ, Barber JR, Kawahara AY. Hidden phylogenomic signal helps elucidate arsenurine silkmoth phylogeny and the evolution of body size and wing shape trade-offs. Syst Biol 2021; 71:859-874. [PMID: 34791485 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the key objectives in biological research is understanding how evolutionary processes have produced Earth's diversity. A critical step towards revealing these processes is an investigation of evolutionary tradeoffs - that is, the opposing pressures of multiple selective forces. For millennia, nocturnal moths have had to balance successful flight, as they search for mates or host plants, with evading bat predators. However, the potential for evolutionary trade-offs between wing shape and body size are poorly understood. In this study, we used phylogenomics and geometric morphometrics to examine the evolution of wing shape in the wild silkmoth subfamily Arsenurinae (Saturniidae) and evaluate potential evolutionary relationships between body size and wing shape. The phylogeny was inferred based on 782 loci from target capture data of 42 arsenurine species representing all 10 recognized genera. After detecting in our data one of the most vexing problems in phylogenetic inference - a region of a tree that possesses short branches and no "support" for relationships (i.e., a polytomy), we looked for hidden phylogenomic signal (i.e., inspecting differing phylogenetic inferences, alternative support values, quartets, and phylogenetic networks) to better illuminate the most probable generic relationships within the subfamily. We found there are putative evolutionary trade-offs between wing shape, body size, and the interaction of fore- and hindwing shape. Namely, body size tends to decrease with increasing hindwing length but increases as forewing shape becomes more complex. Additionally, the type of hindwing (i.e., tail or no tail) a lineage possesses has a significant effect on the complexity of forewing shape. We outline possible selective forces driving the complex hindwing shapes that make Arsenurinae, and silkmoths as a whole, so charismatic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris A Hamilton
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA.,Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology & Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844 USA
| | - Nathalie Winiger
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA.,Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Juliette J Rubin
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Jesse Breinholt
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA.,Division of Bioinformatics, Intermountain Healthcare, Precision Genomics, St. George, UT 84790 USA
| | - Rodolphe Rougerie
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Ian J Kitching
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Jesse R Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725 USA
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Neil TR, Shen Z, Robert D, Drinkwater BW, Holderied MW. Thoracic scales of moths as a stealth coating against bat biosonar. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20190692. [PMID: 32093539 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many moths are endowed with ultrasound-sensitive ears that serve the detection and evasion of echolocating bats. Moths lacking such ears could still gain protection from bat biosonar by using stealth acoustic camouflage, absorbing sound waves rather than reflecting them back as echoes. The thorax of a moth is bulky and hence acoustically highly reflective. This renders it an obvious target for any bat. Much of the thorax of moths is covered in hair-like scales, the layout of which is remarkably similar in structure and arrangement to natural fibrous materials commonly used in sound insulation. Despite this structural similarity, the effect of thorax scales on moth echoes has never been characterized. Here, we test whether and how moth thorax scales function as an acoustic absorber. From tomographic echo images, we find that the thin layer of thoracic scales of diurnal butterflies affects the strength of ultrasound echoes from the thorax very little, while the thorax scales of earless moths absorbs an average of 67 ± 9% of impinging ultrasonic sound energy. We show that the thorax scales of moths provide acoustic camouflage by acting as broadband (20-160 kHz) stealth coating. Modelling results suggest the scales are acting as a porous sound absorber; however, the thorax scales of moths achieve a considerably higher absorption than technical fibrous porous absorbers with the same structural parameters. Such scales, despite being thin and lightweight, constitute a broadband, multidirectional and efficient ultrasound absorber that reduces the moths' detectability to hunting bats and gives them a survival advantage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Neil
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zhiyuan Shen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Daniel Robert
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Bruce W Drinkwater
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marc W Holderied
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Arrizabalaga‐Escudero A, Merckx T, García‐Baquero G, Wahlberg N, Aizpurua O, Garin I, Goiti U, Aihartza J. Trait‐based functional dietary analysis provides a better insight into the foraging ecology of bats. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1587-1600. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Arrizabalaga‐Escudero
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Leioa The Basque Country
| | - Thomas Merckx
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute UCLouvain Louvain‐La‐Neuve Belgium
- Department of Ecology and Genetics University of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Gonzalo García‐Baquero
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Leioa The Basque Country
| | | | - Ostaizka Aizpurua
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Inazio Garin
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Leioa The Basque Country
| | - Urtzi Goiti
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Leioa The Basque Country
| | - Joxerra Aihartza
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU Leioa The Basque Country
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Garin I, Aihartza J, Goiti U, Arrizabalaga-Escudero A, Nogueras J, Ibáñez C. Bats from different foraging guilds prey upon the pine processionary moth. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7169. [PMID: 31316870 PMCID: PMC6613530 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Outbreaks of the processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775), a forest pest from the Palearctic, are thought to induce a behavioral response of bats, but up to now the moth has been seldom identified as bats’ prey. Studies on bat diets suggest moths with cyclical outbreaks attract a wide array of bat species from different foraging guilds. We test whether bats feed upon T. pityocampa in the Iberian Peninsula irrespective of the predator’s ecological and morphological features. We found that seven out of ten bat species belonging to different foraging guilds contained T. pityocampa DNA in their faeces and no difference was found in the foraging frequency among foraging guilds. A different size of the typical prey or the lack of fondness for moths can explain the absence of the pest in some bat species. Moreover, the intraspecific foraging frequency of T. pityocampa also changed with the sampling site likely representing differential availability of the moth. Lack of information on flight and dispersal behavior or the tympanate nature of the adult moth complicates understanding how different foraging guilds of bats prey upon the same prey. Our data suggests that T. pityocampa is a remarkable food source for many thousands of individual bats in the study area and we anticipate that more bats besides the species studied here are consuming this moth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inazio Garin
- Zoologia eta Animali Zelulen Biologia Saila, UPV/EHU, Leioa, The Basque Country
| | - Joxerra Aihartza
- Zoologia eta Animali Zelulen Biologia Saila, UPV/EHU, Leioa, The Basque Country
| | - Urtzi Goiti
- Zoologia eta Animali Zelulen Biologia Saila, UPV/EHU, Leioa, The Basque Country
| | | | - Jesús Nogueras
- Evolutionary Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Carlos Ibáñez
- Evolutionary Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Seville, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ter Hofstede HM, Ratcliffe JM. Evolutionary escalation: the bat-moth arms race. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 219:1589-602. [PMID: 27252453 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.086686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Echolocation in bats and high-frequency hearing in their insect prey make bats and insects an ideal system for studying the sensory ecology and neuroethology of predator-prey interactions. Here, we review the evolutionary history of bats and eared insects, focusing on the insect order Lepidoptera, and consider the evidence for antipredator adaptations and predator counter-adaptations. Ears evolved in a remarkable number of body locations across insects, with the original selection pressure for ears differing between groups. Although cause and effect are difficult to determine, correlations between hearing and life history strategies in moths provide evidence for how these two variables influence each other. We consider life history variables such as size, sex, circadian and seasonal activity patterns, geographic range and the composition of sympatric bat communities. We also review hypotheses on the neural basis for anti-predator behaviours (such as evasive flight and sound production) in moths. It is assumed that these prey adaptations would select for counter-adaptations in predatory bats. We suggest two levels of support for classifying bat traits as counter-adaptations: traits that allow bats to eat more eared prey than expected based on their availability in the environment provide a low level of support for counter-adaptations, whereas traits that have no other plausible explanation for their origination and maintenance than capturing defended prey constitute a high level of support. Specific predator counter-adaptations include calling at frequencies outside the sensitivity range of most eared prey, changing the pattern and frequency of echolocation calls during prey pursuit, and quiet, or 'stealth', echolocation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Ter Hofstede
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - John M Ratcliffe
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, Canada L5L 1C6
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Turner JRG. The flexible lek:Phymatopus hectathe gold swift demonstrates the evolution of leking and male swarming via a hotspot (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John R. G. Turner
- Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology; University of Leeds; Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
|
13
|
Bonte D, Borre JV, Lens L, Jean-Pierre Maelfait. Geographical variation in wolf spider dispersal behaviour is related to landscape structure. Anim Behav 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
14
|
Choi SW. Patterns of species description and species richness of geometrid moths (lepidoptera: geometridae) on the Korean peninsula. Zoolog Sci 2006; 23:155-60. [PMID: 16603808 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.23.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The diversity and pattern of species description among geometrid moths in Korea from 1883 to 2004 were assessed. A total of 647 geometrid species have been described: Ennominae (275 species, 43%), Larentiinae (227 spp., 35%), Geometrinae (68 spp., 11%), Sterrhinae (67 spp., 11%), Oenochrominae (9 spp., 2%), and Archiearinae (1 sp., <1%). Fourteen authors described more than 80% of geometrid species. The cumulative curve of the number of geometrid species described showed three high-rate peaks of description, around the 1900s, 1950s, and 2000s. The cumulative curves of five subfamilies (Ennominae, Larentiinae, Geometrinae, Sterrhinae, and Oenochrominae) fluctuated equally, and none has clearly reached an asymptote. The localities where a species was first recorded in Korea are mostly in the northern and central parts of the peninsula. The utility of larentiines, which are predominant in mountainous habitats and high latitudes, as a bioindicator for global warming is briefly discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sei-Woong Choi
- Department of Environmental Education, Mokpo National University, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Pavey CR, Burwell CJ, Milne DJ. The relationship between echolocation-call frequency and moth predation of a tropical bat fauna. CAN J ZOOL 2006. [DOI: 10.1139/z06-010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The allotonic frequency hypothesis proposes that the proportion of eared moths in the diet should be highest in bats whose echolocation calls are dominated by frequencies outside the optimum hearing range of moths i.e., <20 and >60 kHz. The hypothesis was tested on an ecologically diverse bat assemblage in northern tropical Australia that consisted of 23 species (5 families, 14 genera). Peak frequency of signals of bats within the echolocation assemblage ranged from 19.8 to 157 kHz but was greatest between 20 and 50 kHz. A strong positive relationship existed between peak call frequency and percentage of moths in the diet for a sample of 16 bats from the assemblage representing 13 genera (R2 = 0.54, p = 0.001). The relationship remained strong when the three species with low-intensity calls were excluded. When the two species with high duty cycle, constant-frequency signals were removed, the relationship was weaker but still significant. In contrast to previous research, eared moths constituted only 54% of moth captures in light traps at bat foraging grounds, and eared moths were significantly larger than non-eared individuals. These results show that the pattern of moth predation by tropical bats is similar to that already established for bat faunas in subtropical and temperate regions.
Collapse
|
16
|
|