1
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Sysiak M, Pietrzak B, Kubiak M, Bednarska A, Mikulski A. Chemical cannibalistic cues make damselfly larvae hide rather than hunt. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13556. [PMID: 37604994 PMCID: PMC10442433 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40732-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Adopting cannibalism substantially affects individual fitness, and recognizing the presence of other cannibals provides additional benefits such as the opportunity to prepare for hunting or defense. This recognition can be facilitated by perceiving conspecific chemical cues. Their role in cannibalistic interactions is less studied than in interspecific predation and it is unclear whether these cues inform individuals of danger or of food availability. Interpretation of these cues is crucial to balance the costs and benefits of anti-predator and feeding strategies, which can directly influence individual fitness. In this study we aimed to test whether damselfly larvae shift towards bolder and more exploratory (cannibalistic) behavior, or become more careful to avoid potential cannibals (as prey) in response to such cues. We conducted behavioral and respiratory experiments with Ischnura elegans larvae to investigate their response to chemical cues from older and larger conspecific larvae. We found that I. elegans larvae decrease their activity and shift their respiratory-related behavior, indicating activation of anti-predator defense mechanisms in response to conspecific chemical cues. Our findings indicate that individuals exposed to conspecific chemical cues balance catching prey with staying safe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Sysiak
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Barbara Pietrzak
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Matylda Kubiak
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Bednarska
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Mikulski
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
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2
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Gardner ST, Appel AG, Mendonça MT. Chasing Cane Toads: Assessing Locomotory Differences in Toads from Core and Edge Populations in Florida. HERPETOLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-21-00005.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven T. Gardner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 331 Funchess Hall, 350 South College Street, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Arthur G. Appel
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, 301 Funchess Hall, 350 South College Street, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Mary T. Mendonça
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 331 Funchess Hall, 350 South College Street, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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3
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The legacy of predator threat shapes prey foraging behaviour. Oecologia 2021; 198:79-89. [PMID: 34817645 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05073-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Predators exert strong selection on prey foraging behaviour such that prey responses may reflect a combination of ancestral effects of predators (genetic and nongenetic transgenerational effects), past individual experience with predators (phenotypic plasticity), and current exposure to predators (behavioural response). However, the importance of these factors in shaping prey foraging behaviour is not well understood. To test the relative effects of ancestry, prior experience, and current exposure, we measured foraging rates and food size preference of different ancestry and exposure groups of Western mosquitofish in the presence and absence of immediate threat from predatory largemouth bass. Our results confirm that mosquitofish had lower foraging rate in the immediate presence of predator threat. Mosquitofish also foraged at a lower rate if they had ancestry with predators, regardless of immediate threat. In contrast, individual prior experience with predators only caused reduced foraging rates in the immediate presence of a predator. This suggests that phenotypic plasticity could carry a lower risk of maladaptive antipredator responses-i.e., reduced food intake-in the complete absence of a predator. Finally, in the presence of a predator, mosquitofish with both ancestry and experience with predators consumed larger, presumably more energetically valuable, food items. Overall, our results show that non-consumptive effects of predators on prey behaviour can persist within and across generations, such that the legacy of past predator exposure-or "the ghost of predation past"-may continue to shape prey behaviour even when predators are no longer around.
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4
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Crane AL, Bairos‐Novak KR, Goldman JA, Brown GE. Chemical disturbance cues in aquatic systems: a review and prospectus. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L. Crane
- Department of Biology Concordia University Montreal Quebec H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Kevin R. Bairos‐Novak
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies & College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
| | - Jack A. Goldman
- Institute of Forestry and Conservation University of Toronto Toronto Ontario M5S 3B3 Canada
| | - Grant E. Brown
- Department of Biology Concordia University Montreal Quebec H4B 1R6 Canada
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5
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Grunseich JM, Aguirre NM, Thompson MN, Ali JG, Helms AM. Chemical Cues from Entomopathogenic Nematodes Vary Across Three Species with Different Foraging Strategies, Triggering Different Behavioral Responses in Prey and Competitors. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:822-833. [PMID: 34415500 PMCID: PMC8613145 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01304-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Chemical cues play important roles in predator-prey interactions. Semiochemicals can aid predator foraging and alert prey organisms to the presence of predators. Previous work suggests that predator traits differentially influence prey behavior, however, empirical data on how prey organisms respond to chemical cues from predator species with different hunting strategies, and how foraging predators react to cues from potential competitors, is lacking. Furthermore, most research in this area has focused on aquatic and aboveground terrestrial systems, while interactions among belowground, soiling-dwelling organisms have received relatively little attention. Here, we assessed how chemical cues from three species of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), each with a different foraging strategy, influenced herbivore (cucumber beetle) and natural enemy (EPN) foraging behavior. We predicted these cues could serve as chemical indicators of increased predation risk, prey availability, or competition. Our findings revealed that foraging cucumber beetle larvae avoided chemical cues from Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (active-foraging cruiser EPNs), but not Steinernema carpocapsae (ambusher EPNs) or Steinernema riobrave (intermediate-foraging EPNs). In contrast, foraging H. bacteriophora EPNs were attracted to cues produced by the two Steinernema species but not conspecific cues. Notably, the three EPN species produced distinct blends of olfactory cues, with only a few semi-conserved compounds across species. These results indicate that a belowground insect herbivore responds differently to chemical cues from different EPN species, with some EPN species avoiding prey detection. Moreover, the active-hunting EPNs were attracted to heterospecific cues, suggesting these cues indicate a greater probability of available prey, rather than strong interspecific competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Grunseich
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Natalie M Aguirre
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Morgan N Thompson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jared G Ali
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Anjel M Helms
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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6
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A common measure of prey immune function is not constrained by the cascading effects of predators. Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-021-10124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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7
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Berlinghieri F, Panizzon P, Penry-Williams IL, Brown C. Laterality and fish welfare - A review. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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8
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Piersanti S, Rebora M, Salerno G, Anton S. The Antennal Pathway of Dragonfly Nymphs, from Sensilla to the Brain. INSECTS 2020; 11:E886. [PMID: 33339188 PMCID: PMC7765675 DOI: 10.3390/insects11120886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Dragonflies are hemimetabolous insects, switching from an aquatic life style as nymphs to aerial life as adults, confronted to different environmental cues. How sensory structures on the antennae and the brain regions processing the incoming information are adapted to the reception of fundamentally different sensory cues has not been investigated in hemimetabolous insects. Here we describe the antennal sensilla, the general brain structure, and the antennal sensory pathways in the last six nymphal instars of Libellula depressa, in comparison with earlier published data from adults, using scanning electron microscopy, and antennal receptor neuron and antennal lobe output neuron mass-tracing with tetramethylrhodamin. Brain structure was visualized with an anti-synapsin antibody. Differently from adults, the nymphal antennal flagellum harbors many mechanoreceptive sensilla, one olfactory, and two thermo-hygroreceptive sensilla at all investigated instars. The nymphal brain is very similar to the adult brain throughout development, despite the considerable differences in antennal sensilla and habitat. Like in adults, nymphal brains contain mushroom bodies lacking calyces and small aglomerular antennal lobes. Antennal fibers innervate the antennal lobe similar to adult brains and the gnathal ganglion more prominently than in adults. Similar brain structures are thus used in L. depressa nymphs and adults to process diverging sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Piersanti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (S.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Manuela Rebora
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (S.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Gianandrea Salerno
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Sylvia Anton
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, 49045 Angers, France
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9
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Goldman JA, Feyten LEA, Ramnarine IW, Brown GE. Sender and receiver experience alters the response of fish to disturbance cues. Curr Zool 2020; 66:255-261. [PMID: 32440286 PMCID: PMC7234198 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is a pervasive selection pressure, shaping morphological, physiological, and behavioral phenotypes of prey species. Recent studies have begun to examine how the effects of individual experience with predation risk shapes the use of publicly available risk assessment cues. Here, we investigated the effects of prior predation risk experience on disturbance cue production and use by Trinidadian guppies Poecilia reticulata under laboratory conditions. In our first experiment, we demonstrate that the response of guppies from a high predation population (Lopinot River) was dependent upon the source of disturbance cue senders (high vs. low predation populations). However, guppies collected from a low predation site (Upper Aripo River) exhibited similar responses to disturbance cues, regardless of the sender population. In our second experiment, we used laboratory strain guppies exposed to high versus low background risk conditions. Our results show an analogous response patterns as shown for our first experiment. Guppies exposed to high background risk conditions exhibited stronger responses to the disturbance cues collected from senders exposed to high (vs. low) risk conditions and guppies exposed to low risk conditions were not influenced by sender experience. Combined, our results suggest that experience with background predation risk significantly impacts both the production of and response to disturbance cues in guppies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A Goldman
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Laurence E A Feyten
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Indar W Ramnarine
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
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10
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Forewarned is forearmed: Queensland fruit flies detect olfactory cues from predators and respond with predator-specific behaviour. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7297. [PMID: 32350381 PMCID: PMC7190731 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64138-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals can gain significant advantages from abilities to detect cues from predators, assess risks, and respond adaptively to reduce the likelihood of injurious interactions. In contrast, predator cue-induced changes in behaviour may interfere with fitness-associated activities such as exploration, foraging and reproduction. Despite the ecological importance of predator-prey interactions in insects, remarkably little is known about the abilities of insects to detect and respond to olfactory cues from predators, or the potential costs of such responses. We here demonstrate that a tephritid fruit fly, the Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni, is able to detect and respond differentially to volatile olfactory cues from four potential predators (three spiders and an ant) that vary in prevalence and diurnal activity. Male and female flies increased or decreased motility (velocity, active time, distance moved), or exhibited no change in motility, depending on which predator volatiles they encountered. Further, flies significantly reduced foraging, oviposition and mating propensity in the presence of volatiles from any of the predators. This study is the first report of predator-specific responses to olfactory cues in a tephritid fruit fly, and highlights that such anti-predator responses can impose costs on general activity and reproductive behaviour.
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11
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Siepielski AM, Hasik AZ, Ping T, Serrano M, Strayhorn K, Tye SP. Predators weaken prey intraspecific competition through phenotypic selection. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:951-961. [PMID: 32227439 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Predators have a key role shaping competitor dynamics in food webs. Perhaps the most obvious way this occurs is when predators reduce competitor densities. However, consumption could also generate phenotypic selection on prey that determines the strength of competition, thus coupling consumptive and trait-based effects of predators. In a mesocosm experiment simulating fish predation on damselflies, we found that selection against high damselfly activity rates - a phenotype mediating predation and competition - weakened the strength of density dependence in damselfly growth rates. A field experiment corroborated this finding and showed that increasing damselfly densities in lakes with high fish densities had limited effects on damselfly growth rates but generated a precipitous growth rate decline where fish densities were lower - a pattern expected because of spatial variation in selection imposed by predation. These results suggest that accounting for both consumption and selection is necessary to determine how predators regulate prey competitive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Adam Z Hasik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Taylor Ping
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Mabel Serrano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Koby Strayhorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Simon P Tye
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
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12
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Mayflies avoid sweets: fish skin mucus amino sugars stimulate predator avoidance behaviour of Baetis larvae. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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13
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Ousterhout BH, Serrano M, Bried JT, Siepielski AM. A framework for linking competitor ecological differences to coexistence. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1534-1548. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mabel Serrano
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas
| | - Jason T. Bried
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas
| | - Adam M. Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas
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14
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Farnworth B, Meitern R, Innes J, Waas JR. Increasing predation risk with light reduces speed, exploration and visit duration of invasive ship rats (Rattus rattus). Sci Rep 2019; 9:3739. [PMID: 30842448 PMCID: PMC6403350 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39711-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Exploiting predation cues to deter pests remains an untapped management tool for conservationists. We examined foraging and movement patterns of 20 wild ship rats (Rattus rattus) within a large, outdoor ‘U maze’ that was either illuminated or dark to assess if light (an indirect predation cue) could deter rodents from ecologically vulnerable locations. Light did not alter rats’ foraging behaviour (latency to approach seed tray, visits to seed tray, time per visit to seed tray, total foraging duration, foraging rate) within the experimental resource patch but three of seven movement behaviours were significantly impaired (53% fewer visits to the maze, 70% less exploration within the maze, 40% slower movement within the maze). The total time males spent exposed to illumination also declined by 45 minutes per night, unlike females. Individual visits tended to be longer under illumination, but the latency to visit and the latency to cross through the U maze were unaffected by illumination. Elevating predation risk with illumination may be a useful pest management technique for reducing ship rat activity, particularly in island ecosystems where controlling mammalian predators is paramount to preserving biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgette Farnworth
- Biological Sciences, School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag, 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand.
| | - Richard Meitern
- University of Tartu, Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - John Innes
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
| | - Joseph R Waas
- Biological Sciences, School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag, 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand
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15
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Brachetta V, Schleich CE, Zenuto RR. Feeding behavior under predatory risk in Ctenomys talarum: nutritional state and recent experience of a predatory event. MAMMAL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-018-0406-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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16
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Bairos-Novak KR, Mitchell MD, Crane AL, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO. Trust thy neighbour in times of trouble: background risk alters how tadpoles release and respond to disturbance cues. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1465. [PMID: 28954912 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In aquatic environments, uninjured prey escaping a predator release chemical disturbance cues into the water. However, it is unknown whether these cues are a simple physiological by-product of increased activity or whether they represent a social signal that is under some control by the sender. Here, we exposed wood frog tadpoles (Lithobates sylvaticus) to either a high or low background risk environment and tested their responses to disturbance cues (or control cues) produced by tadpoles from high-risk or low-risk backgrounds. We found an interaction between risk levels associated with the cue donor and cue recipient. While disturbance cues from low-risk donors did not elicit an antipredator response in low-risk receivers, they did in high-risk receivers. In addition, disturbance cues from high-risk donors elicited a marked antipredator response in both low- and high-risk receivers. The response of high-risk receivers to disturbance cues from high-risk donors was commensurate with other treatments, indicating an all-or-nothing response. Our study provides evidence of differential production and perception of social cues and provides insights into their function and evolution in aquatic vertebrates. Given the widespread nature of disturbance cues in aquatic prey, there may exist a social signalling system that remains virtually unexplored by ecologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Bairos-Novak
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - Matthew D Mitchell
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4
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17
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Fear of predation alters clone-specific performance in phloem-feeding prey. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7695. [PMID: 28794462 PMCID: PMC5550486 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07723-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear of predation has been shown to affect prey fitness and behaviour, however, to date little is known about the underlying genetics of responses to predator-associated risk. In an effort to fill this gap we exposed four naïve clones of green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), maintained on the model crop Brassica oleracea, to different types of cues from aphid lion (Chrysoperla carnea). The respective predation risks, we termed Fear Factors, were either lethal (consumption by predator), or non-lethal (non-consumptive predator-associated cues: plant-tethered predator cadavers and homogenised shoot-sprayed or soil-infused blends of predator remains). Our results show that the non-lethal risk cues differentially impeded prey reproductive success that varied by clone, suggesting genotype-specific response to fear of predation. Furthermore, whether plants were perceived as being safe or risky influenced prey responses as avoidance behaviour in prey depended on clone type. Our findings highlight that intra-specific genetic variation underlies prey responses to consumptive and non-consumptive effects of predation. This allows selection to act on anti-predator responses to fear of predation that may ramify and influence higher trophic levels in model agroecosystems.
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18
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Peterson CC, Keppeler FW, Saenz DE, Bower LM, Winemiller KO. Seasonal variation in fish trophic networks in two clear-water streams in the Central Llanos region, Venezuela. NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-20160125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Food webs are not static entities; consumer resource interactions vary in both time and space, which complicates depiction and comparisons of food web structures. We estimated fish assemblage structure and diets in two clear-water streams in the Venezuelan Llanos region (Charcote and Charcotico) and constructed trophic networks (sub-webs defined by fishes as the principal consumers) during four periods of the annual flood pulse. As stream conditions changed from high-water to low-water, we hypothesized that: 1) the piscivore-non-piscivore ratio would increase; 2) dietary diversity would decrease; 3) interspecific dietary overlap would decline; 4) fewer allochthonous food items would be consumed; and 5) food-web connectance would increase. The piscivore-non-piscivore abundance ratio was higher in both streams during the low-water period. Dietary diversity declined as water levels dropped and availability of aquatic habitats and resources declined, but interspecific dietary overlap was not lower. Contrary to our hypothesis, average interspecific dietary overlap increased at Charcote as the dry season progressed, even though dietary overlap among species was significantly lower than expected by chance. We did not find strong support for our hypotheses regarding seasonal patterns of consumption of allochthonous resources and food web connectance, both of which revealed little seasonal variation.
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