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Okabe K, Fujii S, Makino S, Doi K, Nakamura S, Saitoh T, Shimada T. Mite composition in nests of the Japanese wood mouse, Apodemus speciosus (Rodentia: Muridae). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2024:10.1007/s10493-024-00959-8. [PMID: 39212827 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-024-00959-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Acari is a diverse group of arthropods that include well-known parasites of animals. Rodents, particularly, serve as common hosts of mites and ticks, transmitting pathogens to domestic animals and humans. Understanding the ecological dynamics between parasites and rodent hosts is crucial for ecosystem management. Due to limited knowledge about the life history of ectoparasites in wild mouse nests, we collected four nests of Apodemus speciosus, the most common rodent species in the wild areas of Japan, along with soil samples near the nests to study arthropod communities. Mites overwhelmingly populated the mouse nests, comprising approximately 90% of all arthropods, while both mites and collembolans were prevalent in soil. Various species identified in our study, such as those from the families Laelapidae, Pygmephoridae, Cheyletidae, Trombiculidae, Glycyphagidae, and Thyrisomidae align with known ectoparasites or species found in the nests of other rodent species, but most parasitic species were never collected in the surrounding soil except for trombiculids. The dominance of mites in mouse nests suggests selective preference for inhabiting these host environments, although the exact reasons driving this dominance remain unclear. Further investigations into the food web within mouse nests will aid in characterising faunal composition and understanding the ecological interaction among rodents, mites, and other nest symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimiko Okabe
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Tsukuba, Japan.
| | - Saori Fujii
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shun'ichi Makino
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kandai Doi
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Tsukuba, Japan
| | | | - Takashi Saitoh
- Field Science Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takuya Shimada
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Tsukuba, Japan
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Rydgren K, Indreeide B, Slagsvold T, Lampe HM. Nest building in titmice Paridae: Selectivity in bryophyte use. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9852. [PMID: 36911310 PMCID: PMC9994477 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9852] [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: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In many bird species, reproductive success is dependent on nest quality. However, detailed data on nest composition are scarce, and quantitative analyses have generally used only rough categories, without species identification. Bryophytes dominate the nests of many passerine bird species, but little is known about whether birds have preferences for certain species. In this study, we determined the bryophyte species composition in nests of blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus and great tits Parus major in a forest near Oslo, Norway. We also sampled the abundance of the bryophyte species in plots on the forest floor surrounding a subset of the great tit nests. Blue tits and great tits both used 15 bryophyte species as nest materials, mainly the same pleurocarpous species but in different proportions. The tits preferred highly branched bryophyte species, i.e., Pleurozium schreberi, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, and Sanionia uncinata but avoided common forest floor bryophyte species that are sparsely branched. Great tits clearly collected bryophyte species selectively. We also found that bryophyte species content in great tit nests in the same nest box in different years was very similar. Our results also indicated that the great tits collected bryophyte nest materials close to their nests, mostly within 5 m, supporting the view that collecting nest materials is costly. We review several hypotheses to explain why the tits prefer certain species of bryophytes as nest materials. These include handling costs and their suitability as structural materials. We recommend field experiments to test specific hypotheses and to study whether preferences are heritable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Knut Rydgren
- Department of Environmental Sciences Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Sogndal Norway
| | | | - Tore Slagsvold
- Department of Biosciences CEES, University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Helene M Lampe
- Department of Biosciences CEES, University of Oslo Oslo Norway
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Rinkert A, Misiewicz TM, Carter BE, Salmaan A, Whittall JB. Bird nests as botanical time capsules: DNA barcoding identifies the contents of contemporary and historical nests. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257624. [PMID: 34614003 PMCID: PMC8494352 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bird nests in natural history collections are an abundant yet vastly underutilized source of genetic information. We sequenced the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer to identify plant species used as nest material in two contemporary (2003 and 2018) and two historical (both 1915) nest specimens constructed by Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis). A total of 13 (22%) samples yielded single, strong bands that could be identified using GenBank resources: six plants (Angiospermae), six green algae (Chlorophyta), and one ciliate (Ciliophora). Two native plant species identified in the nests included Festuca microstachys, which was introduced to the nest collection site by restoration practitioners, and Rosa californica, identified in a nest collected from a lost habitat that existed about 100 years ago. Successful sequencing was correlated with higher sample mass and DNA quality, suggesting future studies should select larger pieces of contiguous material from nests and materials that appear to have been fresh when incorporated into the nest. This molecular approach was used to distinguish plant species that were not visually identifiable, and did not require disassembling the nest specimens as is a traditional practice with nest material studies. The many thousands of nest specimens in natural history collections hold great promise as sources of genetic information to address myriad ecological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Rinkert
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Tracy M. Misiewicz
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States of America
| | - Benjamin E. Carter
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA, United States of America
| | - Aleezah Salmaan
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States of America
| | - Justen B. Whittall
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States of America
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Fontúrbel FE, Osorio F, Riffo V, Nuñez M, Bastias R, Carvallo GO. Mamma knows best: why a generalist hummingbird selects the less abundant moss for nest building. Ecology 2020; 101:e03045. [PMID: 32222975 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco E Fontúrbel
- Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | | | - Valentina Riffo
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Nuñez
- Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Roberto Bastias
- Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Gastón O Carvallo
- Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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Bush SE, Clayton DH. Anti-parasite behaviour of birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0196. [PMID: 29866911 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds have many kinds of internal and external parasites, including viruses, bacteria and fungi, as well as protozoa, helminths and arthropods. Because parasites have negative effects on host fitness, selection favours the evolution of anti-parasite defences, many of which involve behaviour. We provide a brief review of anti-parasite behaviours in birds, divided into five major categories: (i) body maintenance, (ii) nest maintenance, (iii) avoidance of parasitized prey, (iv) migration and (v) tolerance. We evaluate the adaptive significance of the different behaviours and note cases in which additional research is particularly needed. We briefly consider the interaction of different behaviours, such as sunning and preening, and how behavioural defences may interact with other forms of defence, such as immune responses. We conclude by suggesting some general questions that need to be addressed concerning the nature of anti-parasite behaviour in birds.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Bush
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Dale H Clayton
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Hart BL, Hart LA. How mammals stay healthy in nature: the evolution of behaviours to avoid parasites and pathogens. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170205. [PMID: 29866918 PMCID: PMC6000140 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals live and thrive in environments presenting ongoing threats from parasites in the form of biting flies, ticks and intestinal worms and from pathogens as wound contaminants and agents of infectious disease. Several strategies have evolved that enable animals to deal with parasites and pathogens, including eliminating away from the sleeping-resting areas, use of an array of grooming techniques, use of saliva in licking, and consuming medicinal plant-based compounds. These strategies all are species-specific and reflect the particular environment that the animal inhabits.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Hart
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Lynette A Hart
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Gwinner H, Capilla-Lasheras P, Cooper C, Helm B. 'Green incubation': avian offspring benefit from aromatic nest herbs through improved parental incubation behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0376. [PMID: 29875299 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of avian embryos requires thermal energy, usually from parents. Parents may, however, trade off catering for embryonic requirements against their own need to forage through intermittent incubation. This dynamically adjusted behaviour can be affected by properties of the nest. Here, we experimentally show a novel mechanism by which parents, through incorporation of aromatic herbs into nests, effectively modify their incubation behaviour to the benefit of their offspring. Our study species, the European starling, includes in its nest aromatic herbs which promote offspring fitness. We provided wild starlings with artificial nests including or excluding the typically selected fresh herbs and found strong support for our prediction of facilitated incubation. Herb effects were not explained by thermal changes of the nests per se, but by modified parental behaviours. Egg temperatures and nest attendance were higher in herb than herbless nests, egg temperatures dropped less frequently below critical thresholds and parents started their active day earlier. These effects were dynamic over time and particularly strong during early incubation. Incubation period was shorter in herb nests, and nestlings were heavier one week after hatching. Aromatic herbs hence influenced incubation in beneficial ways for offspring, possibly through pharmacological effects on incubating parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Gwinner
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institut für Ornithologie, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Caren Cooper
- Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA.,North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - Barbara Helm
- BAHCM, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK .,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Fessl B, Heimpel GE, Causton CE. Invasion of an Avian Nest Parasite, Philornis downsi, to the Galapagos Islands: Colonization History, Adaptations to Novel Ecosystems, and Conservation Challenges. DISEASE ECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-65909-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Krause ET, Bischof HJ, Engel K, Golüke S, Maraci Ö, Mayer U, Sauer J, Caspers BA. Olfaction in the Zebra Finch ( Taeniopygia guttata ): What Is Known and Further Perspectives. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Mahandran V, Murugan CM, Nathan PT. Effect of female group size on harem male roosting behavior of the Indian short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx. Acta Ethol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-017-0276-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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11
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Mainwaring MC. Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Skin and flange colour, but not ectoparasites, predict condition and survival in starling nestlings. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2292-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Suárez-Rodríguez M, Montero-Montoya RD, Macías Garcia C. Anthropogenic Nest Materials May Increase Breeding Costs for Urban Birds. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
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Griggio M, Fracasso G, Mahr K, Hoi H. Olfactory Assessment of Competitors to the Nest Site: An Experiment on a Passerine Species. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167905. [PMID: 27936093 PMCID: PMC5148006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Since most avian species have been considered anosmic or microsmatic, olfaction and associated behavioural patterns have hardly been investigated. Most importantly, empirical data on avian olfaction is not equally distributed among species. Initial investigations focused on species with relatively big olfactory bulbs because they were thought to have better olfactory capabilities. Hence, in this study we tested the ability of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to use chemical cues as parameters to estimate nest features. House sparrows are a commonly used model species, but their olfactory capabilities have not been studied so far. We offered two different odours to males and females, namely the scent of mouse urine (Mus musculus domesticus), representing a possible competitor and a threat to eggs and hatchlings, and the odour of hay, representing a familiar and innocuous odour. The experiment was performed at the sunset to simulate a first inspection to new possible roosting or nesting sites. Interestingly, males but not females preferred to spend significantly more time in front of the hay odour, than in front of the scent of mouse urine. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that oscines can not only perceive odours but also use olfaction to assess the environment and estimate nest site quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Griggio
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Padova, Via U. Bassi Padova, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Gerardo Fracasso
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Padova, Via U. Bassi Padova, Italy
| | - Katharina Mahr
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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15
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Monk parakeet invasion success: a role for nest thermoregulation and bactericidal potential of plant nest material? Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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16
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Murray DR, Schaller M. The Behavioral Immune System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aesp.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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Douglas HD, Malenke JR. An Extraordinary Host-Specific Sex Ratio in an Avian Louse (Phthiraptera: Insecta)--Chemical Distortion? ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 44:1149-1154. [PMID: 26314060 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Distortions of sex ratios and sexual traits from synthetic chemicals have been well documented; however, there is little evidence for such phenomena associated with naturally occurring chemical exposures. We reasoned that chemical secretions of vertebrates could contribute to skewed sex ratios in ectoparasitic insects due to differences in susceptibility among the sexes. For example, among ectoparasitic lice the female is generally the larger sex. Smaller males may be more susceptible to chemical effects. We studied sex ratios of lice on two sympatric species of colonial seabirds. Crested auklets (Aethia cristatella) secrete a strong smelling citrus-like odorant composed of aldehydes while a closely related congener the least auklet (Aethia pusilla) lacks these compounds. Each auklet hosts three species of lice, two of which are shared in common. We found that the sex ratio of one louse species, Quadraceps aethereus (Giebel), was highly skewed on crested auklets 1:69 (males: females), yet close to unity on least auklets (1:0.97). We suggest that a host-specific effect contributes to this difference, such as the crested auklet's chemical odorant.
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Affiliation(s)
- H D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775. Current address: Science Department, College of Rural and Community Development, Kuskokwim Campus, University of Alaska, Bethel, AK 99559.
| | - J R Malenke
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84412
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A review of the nest protection hypothesis: does inclusion of fresh green plant material in birds' nests reduce parasite infestation? Parasitology 2015; 142:1016-23. [PMID: 25804728 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182015000189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The use of aromatic plants and their essential oils for ectoparasite treatment is a field of growing interest. Several species of birds regularly introduce aromatic herbs into their nests putatively to reduce parasites. The behaviour is most often seen in cavity nesting birds and after nest building has finished. The plants are included in a non-structural manner and are often strongly aromatic. Various different hypotheses have been proposed regarding the function of this behaviour; from the plants altering some non-living factor in the nest (crypsis, water loss and insulation hypotheses) to them being involved in mate selection (mate hypothesis) or even having a beneficial effect, direct or indirect, on chicks (drug or nest protection hypothesis, NPH). Many studies have been carried out over the years observing and experimentally testing these hypotheses. This review focuses on studies involving the most popular of these hypotheses, the NPH: that plants decrease nest parasites or pathogens, thereby conveying positive effects to the chicks, allowing the behaviour to evolve. Studies providing observational evidence towards this hypothesis and those experimentally testing it are discussed.
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Caro SP, Balthazart J, Bonadonna F. The perfume of reproduction in birds: chemosignaling in avian social life. Horm Behav 2015; 68:25-42. [PMID: 24928570 PMCID: PMC4263688 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". Chemical cues were probably the first cues ever used to communicate and are still ubiquitous among living organisms. Birds have long been considered an exception: it was believed that birds were anosmic and relied on their acute visual and acoustic capabilities. Birds are however excellent smellers and use odors in various contexts including food searching, orientation, and also breeding. Successful reproduction in most vertebrates involves the exchange of complex social signals between partners. The first evidence for a role of olfaction in reproductive contexts in birds only dates back to the seventies, when ducks were shown to require a functional sense of smell to express normal sexual behaviors. Nowadays, even if the interest for olfaction in birds has largely increased, the role that bodily odors play in reproduction still remains largely understudied. The few available studies suggest that olfaction is involved in many reproductive stages. Odors have been shown to influence the choice and synchronization of partners, the choice of nest-building material or the care for the eggs and offspring. How this chemical information is translated at the physiological level mostly remains to be described, although available evidence suggests that, as in mammals, key reproductive brain areas like the medial preoptic nucleus are activated by relevant olfactory signals. Olfaction in birds receives increasing attention and novel findings are continuously published, but many exciting discoveries are still ahead of us, and could make birds one of the animal classes with the largest panel of developed senses ever described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France
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Minias P. The use of haemoglobin concentrations to assess physiological condition in birds: a review. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 3:cov007. [PMID: 27293692 PMCID: PMC4778452 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cov007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Total blood haemoglobin concentration is increasingly being used to assess physiological condition in wild birds, although it has not been explicitly recognized how reliably this parameter reflects different components of individual quality. Thus, I reviewed over 120 published studies linking variation in haemoglobin concentrations to different measures of condition and other phenotypic or ecological traits. In most of the studied avian species, haemoglobin concentrations were positively correlated with other commonly used indices of condition, such as body mass and fat loads, as well as with quality of the diet. Also, chick haemoglobin concentrations reliably reflected the intensity of nest infestation by parasitic arthropods, and haemoglobin was suggested to reflect parasitism by haematophagous ectoparasites much more precisely than haematocrit. There was also some evidence for the negative effect of helminths on haemoglobin levels in adult birds. Finally, haemoglobin concentrations were found to correlate with such fitness-related traits as timing of arrival at breeding grounds, timing of breeding, egg size, developmental stability and habitat quality, although these relationships were not always consistent between species. In consequence, I recommend the total blood haemoglobin concentration as a relatively robust indicator of physiological condition in birds, although this parameter is also strongly affected by age, season and the process of moult. Thus, researchers are advised to control fully for these confounding effects while using haemoglobin concentrations as a proxy of physiological condition in both experimental and field studies on birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Department of Teacher Training and Biodiversity Studies, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, Łódź 90–237, Poland
- Corresponding author:
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Suárez-Rodríguez M, Macías Garcia C. There is no such a thing as a free cigarette; lining nests with discarded butts brings short-term benefits, but causes toxic damage. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2719-26. [PMID: 25403778 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Adaptation to human-modified environments such as cities is poised to be a major component of natural history in the foreseeable future. Birds have been shown to adapt their vocalizations, use of nesting places and activity rhythms to the urban environments, and we have previously reported that some species, including the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), use cellulose from smoked cigarette butts as lining material and thus reduce the number of ectoparasites in their nests, probably because the nicotine repels arthropods. Nicotine is only one of hundreds of potentially harmful substances found in cigarette butts. Here, we investigated whether the presence of such chemicals is harmful for house finches adding cigarette butts to their nests. We found that hatching and fledging success and chick immune response were all positively correlated to the proportion of the nest that was made up of butts. However, the signs of genotoxicity in the blood cells also increased with the proportion of butt cellulose in the nests. Although we have not measured the effect of genotoxicity on post-fledging survival and breeding success, it seems that bringing cigarette butts to the nest has negative consequences that may counterbalance the benefits of using them as ectoparasites repellents.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Suárez-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Conducta Animal, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México
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Lee WY, Kim M, Jablonski PG, Choe JC, Lee SI. Effect of incubation on bacterial communities of eggshells in a temperate bird, the Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica). PLoS One 2014; 9:e103959. [PMID: 25089821 PMCID: PMC4121233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory effect of incubation on microbial growth has extensively been studied in wild bird populations using culture-based methods and conflicting results exist on whether incubation selectively affects the growth of microbes on the egg surface. In this study, we employed culture-independent methods, quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, to elucidate the effect of incubation on the bacterial abundance and bacterial community composition on the eggshells of the Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica). We found that total bacterial abundance increased and diversity decreased on incubated eggs while there were no changes on non-incubated eggs. Interestingly, Gram-positive Bacillus, which include mostly harmless species, became dominant and genus Pseudomonas, which include opportunistic avian egg pathogens, were significantly reduced after incubation. These results suggest that avian incubation in temperate regions may promote the growth of harmless (or benevolent) bacteria and suppress the growth of pathogenic bacterial taxa and consequently reduce the diversity of microbes on the egg surface. We hypothesize that this may occur due to difference in sensitivity to dehydration on the egg surface among microbes, combined with the introduction of Bacillus from bird feathers and due to the presence of antibiotics that certain bacteria produce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Young Lee
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mincheol Kim
- Laboratory of Prokaryotic Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Piotr G Jablonski
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jae Chun Choe
- Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-im Lee
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Advanced Machinery and Design, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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O'Connor JA, Robertson J, Kleindorfer S. Darwin's Finch Begging Intensity Does Not Honestly Signal Need in Parasitised Nests. Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jody A. O'Connor
- School of Biological Sciences; The Flinders University of South Australia; Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Jeremy Robertson
- School of Biological Sciences; The Flinders University of South Australia; Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- School of Biological Sciences; The Flinders University of South Australia; Adelaide SA Australia
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25
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Muth F, Steele M, Healy SD. Colour preferences in nest-building zebra finches. Behav Processes 2013; 99:106-11. [PMID: 23860278 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2013] [Revised: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Some bird species are selective in the materials they choose for nest building, preferring, for example, materials of one colour to others. However, in many cases the cause of these preferences is not clear. One of those species is the zebra finch, which exhibits strong preferences for particular colours of nest material. In an attempt to determine why these birds strongly prefer one colour of material over another, we compared the preferences of paired male zebra finches for nest material colour with their preferences for food of the same colours. We found that birds did indeed prefer particular colours of nest material (in most cases blue) but that they did not generally prefer food of one colour over the other colours. It appears, then, that a preference for one colour or another of nest material is specific to the nest-building context. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: insert SI title.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Muth
- University of St Andrews, St Mary's College, South Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK; Schools of Biology and Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9AJ, UK
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Ruiz-Rodríguez M, Martínez-Bueno M, Martín-Vivaldi M, Valdivia E, Soler JJ. Bacteriocins with a broader antimicrobial spectrum prevail in enterococcal symbionts isolated from the hoopoe's uropygial gland. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2013; 85:495-502. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ruiz-Rodríguez
- Dpto. Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva; Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC); Almería Spain
- Grupo Coevolución; Unidad asociada al CSIC; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez-Bueno
- Grupo Coevolución; Unidad asociada al CSIC; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
- Dpto. Microbiología; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
| | - Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Grupo Coevolución; Unidad asociada al CSIC; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
- Dpto. Zoología; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
| | - Eva Valdivia
- Grupo Coevolución; Unidad asociada al CSIC; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
- Dpto. Microbiología; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
| | - Juan J. Soler
- Dpto. Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva; Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC); Almería Spain
- Grupo Coevolución; Unidad asociada al CSIC; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
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27
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Møller AP, Flensted-Jensen E, Mardal W, Soler JJ. Host-parasite relationship between colonial terns and bacteria is modified by a mutualism with a plant with antibacterial defenses. Oecologia 2013; 173:169-78. [PMID: 23404068 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2600-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Predator-prey and host-parasite interactions and mutualisms are common and may have profound effects on ecosystems. Here we analyze the parasitic and mutualistic associations between three groups of organisms: the plant Artemisia maritima, bacteria, and a colonial seabird (the sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis) that breeds in dense colonies covered in feces produced by both adults and chicks. A disproportionately large fraction of colonies of the sandwich tern in Denmark were located in patches covered by A. maritima. This association was specific for the densely colonial sandwich tern, but was not present for four other sympatric species of terns that breed in much less dense colonies. A. maritima reduced the abundance of pathogenic Staphylococcus on chicken eggshells in a field experiment. Recruitment by sandwich terns breeding in patches of A. maritima was 18 % higher than for sandwich terns breeding in the absence of A. maritima. A. maritima benefitted from the association with sandwich terns due to the supply of nutrients from feces and uneaten food lost by young. These findings are consistent with sandwich terns exploiting the association with A. maritima and its antimicrobial properties to improve their reproductive success, while sandwich terns and A. maritima are involved in a mutualistic interaction.
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28
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Moore J. An overview of parasite-induced behavioral alterations – and some lessons from bats. J Exp Biol 2013; 216:11-7. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.074088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Summary
An animal with a parasite is not likely to behave like a similar animal without that parasite. This is a simple enough concept, one that is now widely recognized as true, but if we move beyond that statement, the light that it casts on behavior fades quickly: the world of parasites, hosts and behavior is shadowy, and boundaries are ill-defined. For instance, at first glance, the growing list of altered behaviors tells us very little about how those alterations happen, much less how they evolved. Some cases of parasite-induced behavioral change are truly manipulative, with the parasite standing to benefit from the changed behavior. In other cases, the altered behavior has an almost curative, if not prophylactic, effect; in those cases, the host benefits. This paper will provide an overview of the conflicting (and coinciding) demands on parasite and host, using examples from a wide range of taxa and posing questions for the future. In particular, what does the larger world of animal behavior tell us about how to go about seeking insights – or at least, what not to do? By asking questions about the sensory–perceptual world of hosts, we can identify those associations that hold the greatest promise for neuroethological studies of parasite-induced behavioral alterations, and those studies can, in turn, help guide our understanding of how parasite-induced alterations evolved, and how they are maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice Moore
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Abstract
Not all pharmacists are human; other species also use medicinal substances to combat pathogens and other parasites. Self-medicating behaviour is a topic of rapidly growing interest to behaviourists, parasitologists, ethnobotanists, chemical ecologists, conservationists and physicians. Although most of the pertinent literature is anecdotal, several studies have now attempted to test the adaptive function of particular self-medicating behaviours. We discuss the results of these studies in relation to simple hypotheses that can provide a framework for future tests of self-medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- D H Clayton
- Dale Clayton is at the Dept of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK OX1 3PS
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Zhang J, Friman VP, Laakso J, Mappes J. Interactive effects between diet and genotypes of host and pathogen define the severity of infection. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:2347-56. [PMID: 23139892 PMCID: PMC3488684 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Revised: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 07/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Host resistance and parasite virulence are influenced by multiple interacting factors in complex natural communities. Yet, these interactive effects are seldom studied concurrently, resulting in poor understanding of host-pathogen-environment dynamics. Here, we investigated how the level of opportunist pathogen virulence, strength of host immunity and the host condition manipulated via diet affect the survival of wood tiger moth Parasemia plantaginis (Arctidae). Larvae from "low cuticular melanin" and "high cuticular melanin" (considered as low and high pathogen resistance, respectively) selection lines were infected with moderately and highly virulent bacteria strains of Serratia marcescens, while simultaneously manipulating host diet (with or without antibacterial compounds). We measured host survival and food preference before and after infection to test whether the larvae "self-medicate" by choosing an anti-infection diet (Plantago major, i.e., plantain leaf) over lettuce (Lactuca sativa). "High melanin" larvae were more resistant than "low melanin" larvae to the less virulent strain that had slower growth and colonization rate compared with the more virulent strain. Cuticular melanin did not enhance survival when the larvae were infected with the highly virulent strain. Anti-infection diet enhanced survival of the "high melanin" but not the "low melanin" hosts. Survival was dependent on family origin even within the melanin selection lines. Despite the intrinsic preference for lettuce, no evidence of self-medication was found. These results demonstrate that the relative benefit of host cuticular melanin depends on both diet and pathogen virulence: plantain diet only boosted the immunity of already resistant "high melanin" hosts, and cuticular melanin increased host survival only when infected with moderately virulent pathogen. Moreover, there was considerable variation in host survival between families within both melanin lines suggesting genetic basis for resistance. These results indicate that although melanin is an important predictor of insect immunity, its effect on disease outcomes greatly depends on other interacting factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Zhang
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyväskylä P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland ; Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki P.O. Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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31
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Tomás G, Merino S, Martínez-de la Puente J, Moreno J, Morales J, Lobato E, Rivero-de Aguilar J, del Cerro S. Interacting effects of aromatic plants and female age on nest-dwelling ectoparasites and blood-sucking flies in avian nests. Behav Processes 2012; 90:246-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Revised: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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32
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Soler JJ, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Martín-Vivaldi M, Martín-Platero AM, Flensted-Jensen E, Møller AP. Cognitive skills and bacterial load: comparative evidence of costs of cognitive proficiency in birds. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2011; 99:111-22. [PMID: 22170352 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0875-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Revised: 11/29/2011] [Accepted: 12/02/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Parasite-mediated selection may affect the evolution of cognitive abilities because parasites may influence development of the brain, but also learning capacity. Here, we tested some predictions of this hypothesis by analyzing the relationship between complex behaviours (feeding innovations (as a measure of behavioural flexibility) and ability to detect foreign eggs in their nests (i.e. a measure of discriminatory ability)) and abundance of microorganisms in different species of birds. A positive relationship would be predicted if these cognitive abilities implied a larger number of visited environments, while if these skills favoured detection and avoidance of risky environments, a negative relationship would be the prediction. Bacterial loads of eggshells, estimated for mesophilic and potentially pathogenic bacteria (i.e. Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Enterobacteriaceae), were used as a surrogate of probability of contact with pathogenic bacteria. We found that bird species with higher feeding innovation rates and rejection rates of experimental brood parasitic eggs had higher density of bacteria on their eggshells than the average species. Since the analysed groups of microorganisms include pathogenic bacteria, these results suggest that both feeding innovation and ability to recognize foreign eggs are costly and highlight the importance of parasite-mediated selection in explaining the evolution of cognitive abilities in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Soler
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain.
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33
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Hart BL. Behavioural defences in animals against pathogens and parasites: parallels with the pillars of medicine in humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:3406-17. [PMID: 22042917 PMCID: PMC3189355 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
No other theme in animal biology seems to be more central than the concept of employing strategies to survive and successfully reproduce. In nature, controlling or avoiding pathogens and parasites is an essential fitness strategy because of the ever-present disease-causing organisms. The disease-control strategies discussed here are: physical avoidance and removal of pathogens and parasites; quarantine or peripheralization of conspecifics that could be carrying potential pathogens; herbal medicine, animal style, to prevent or treat an infection; potentiation of the immune system; and care of sick or injured group members. These strategies are seen as also encompassing the pillars of human medicine: (i) quarantine; (ii) immune-boosting vaccinations; (iii) use of medicinal products; and (iv) caring or nursing. In contrast to animals, in humans, the disease-control strategies have been consolidated into a consistent and extensive medical system. A hypothesis that explains some of this difference between animals and humans is that humans are sick more often than animals. This increase in sickness in humans leading to an extensive, cognitively driven medical system is attributed to an evolutionary dietary transition from mostly natural vegetation to a meat-based diet, with an increase in health-eroding free radicals and a dietary reduction of free-radical-scavenging antioxidants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Hart
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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34
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Soler JJ, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Flensted-Jensen E, Martín-Platero AM, Møller AP. Innate humoural immunity is related to eggshell bacterial load of European birds: a comparative analysis. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:807-13. [PMID: 21811780 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0830-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Revised: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 07/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Fitness benefits associated with the development of a costly immune system would include not only self-protection against pathogenic microorganisms but also protection of host offspring if it reduces the probability and the rate of vertical transmission of microorganisms. This possibility predicts a negative relationship between probabilities of vertical transmission of symbionts and level of immune response that we here explore inter-specifically. We estimated eggshell bacterial loads by culturing heterotrophic bacteria, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Enterobacteriaceae on the eggshells of 29 species of birds as a proxy of vertical transmission of bacteria from mother to offspring. For this pool of species, we also estimated innate immune response (natural antibody and complement (lysis)) of adults, which constitute the main defence against bacterial infection. Multivariate general linear models revealed the predicted negative association between natural antibodies and density of bacteria on the eggshell of 19 species of birds for which we sampled the eggs in more than one nest. Univariate analyses revealed significant associations for heterotrophic bacteria and for Enterobacteriaceae, a group of bacteria that includes important pathogens of avian embryos. Therefore, these results suggest a possible trans-generational benefit of developing a strong immune system by reducing vertical transmission of pathogens.
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35
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SOLER JUANJ, PERALTA-SÁNCHEZ JUANM, MARTÍNEZ-BUENO MANUEL, MARTÍN-VIVALDI MANUEL, MARTÍN-GÁLVEZ DAVID, VELA ANAISABEL, BRIONES VICTOR, PÉREZ-CONTRERAS TOMÁS. Brood parasitism is associated with increased bacterial contamination of host eggs: bacterial loads of host and parasitic eggs. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01672.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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36
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Experimental evidence for a novel mechanism driving variation in habitat quality in a food-caching bird. Oecologia 2011; 167:943-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2040-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2010] [Accepted: 05/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Paluch G, Bartholomay L, Coats J. Mosquito repellents: a review of chemical structure diversity and olfaction. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2010; 66:925-935. [PMID: 20623705 DOI: 10.1002/ps.1974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Research on mosquito chemical repellents continues to advance, along with knowledge of mosquito olfaction and behavior, mosquito-host interactions and chemical structure. New tools and technologies have revealed information about insect olfactory mechanisms and processing, providing a more complex approach for the interpretation of how chemical repellents influence host-seeking and feeding behavior. Even with these advances, there is still a large amount of information contained in the early works on insect repellents. Many of the standard test methods and chemicals that are still used for evaluating active repellents were developed in the 1940s. These studies contain valuable references to the activity of different structural classes of chemicals, and serve as a guide to optimization of select compounds for insect repellency effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen Paluch
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Mennerat A, Mirleau P, Blondel J, Perret P, Lambrechts MM, Heeb P. Aromatic plants in nests of the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus protect chicks from bacteria. Oecologia 2009; 161:849-55. [PMID: 19633988 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-009-1418-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2009] [Accepted: 06/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Several bird species add fresh fragments of plants which are rich in volatile secondary compounds to their nests. It has been suggested, although never tested, that birds use fresh plants to limit the growth of nest microorganisms. On Corsica, blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) incorporate fresh fragments of aromatic plants into their nests. These plants do not reduce infestation by nest ectoparasites, but have been shown to improve growth and condition of chicks at fledging. To understand the mechanisms underlying such benefits, we experimentally tested the effects of these plants on the bacteria living on blue tits. Aromatic plants significantly affected the structure of bacterial communities, in particular reducing bacterial richness on nestlings. In addition, in this population where there is a strong association between bacterial density and infestation by blood-sucking Protocalliphora blow fly larvae, these plants reduced bacterial density on the most infested chicks. Aromatic plants had no significant effect on the bacteria living on adult blue tits. This study provides the first evidence that fresh plants brought to the nests by adult birds limit bacterial richness and density on their chicks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adèle Mennerat
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5175, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
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Mennerat A, Perret P, Lambrechts MM. Local individual preferences for nest materials in a passerine bird. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5104. [PMID: 19337365 PMCID: PMC2659446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2008] [Accepted: 03/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Variation in the behavioural repertoire of animals is acquired by learning in a range of animal species. In nest-building birds, the assemblage of nest materials in an appropriate structure is often typical of a bird genus or species. Yet plasticity in the selection of nest materials may be beneficial because the nature and abundance of nest materials vary across habitats. Such plasticity can be learned, either individually or socially. In Corsican populations of blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus, females regularly add in their nests fragments of several species of aromatic plants during the whole breeding period. The selected plants represent a small fraction of the species present in the environment and have positive effects on nestlings. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated spatiotemporal variations of this behaviour to test whether the aromatic plant species composition in nests depends on 1) plant availability in territories, 2) female experience or 3) female identity. Our results indicate that territory plays a very marginal role in the aromatic plant species composition of nests. Female experience is not related to a change in nest plant composition. Actually, this composition clearly depends on female identity, i.e. results from individual preferences which, furthermore, are repeatable both within and across years. A puzzling fact is the strong difference in plant species composition of nests across distinct study plots. Conclusions/Significance This study demonstrates that plant species composition of nests results from individual preferences that are homogeneous within study plots. We propose several hypotheses to interpret this pattern of spatial variation before discussing them in the light of preliminary results. As a conclusion, we cannot exclude the possibility of social transmission of individual preferences for aromatic plants. This is an exciting perspective for further work in birds, where nest construction behaviour has classically been considered as a stereotypic behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adèle Mennerat
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France.
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40
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Singer MS, Mace KC, Bernays EA. Self-medication as adaptive plasticity: increased ingestion of plant toxins by parasitized caterpillars. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4796. [PMID: 19274098 PMCID: PMC2652102 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2008] [Accepted: 02/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-medication is a specific therapeutic behavioral change in response to disease or parasitism. The empirical literature on self-medication has so far focused entirely on identifying cases of self-medication in which particular behaviors are linked to therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we frame self-medication in the broader realm of adaptive plasticity, which provides several testable predictions for verifying self-medication and advancing its conceptual significance. First, self-medication behavior should improve the fitness of animals infected by parasites or pathogens. Second, self-medication behavior in the absence of infection should decrease fitness. Third, infection should induce self-medication behavior. The few rigorous studies of self-medication in non-human animals have not used this theoretical framework and thus have not tested fitness costs of self-medication in the absence of disease or parasitism. Here we use manipulative experiments to test these predictions with the foraging behavior of woolly bear caterpillars (Grammia incorrupta; Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) in response to their lethal endoparasites (tachinid flies). Our experiments show that the ingestion of plant toxins called pyrrolizidine alkaloids improves the survival of parasitized caterpillars by conferring resistance against tachinid flies. Consistent with theoretical prediction, excessive ingestion of these toxins reduces the survival of unparasitized caterpillars. Parasitized caterpillars are more likely than unparasitized caterpillars to specifically ingest large amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. This case challenges the conventional view that self-medication behavior is restricted to animals with advanced cognitive abilities, such as primates, and empowers the science of self-medication by placing it in the domain of adaptive plasticity theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Singer
- Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, United States of America.
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41
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Mennerat A, Perret P, Bourgault P, Blondel J, Gimenez O, Thomas DW, Heeb P, Lambrechts MM. Aromatic plants in nests of blue tits: positive effects on nestlings. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Olfactory host finding, intermediate memory and its potential ecological adaptation in Nasonia vitripennis. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2009; 96:383-91. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-008-0490-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2008] [Revised: 11/19/2008] [Accepted: 11/21/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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43
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Mennerat A. Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) respond to an experimental change in the aromatic plant odour composition of their nest. Behav Processes 2008; 79:189-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2008.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2008] [Revised: 07/08/2008] [Accepted: 07/08/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Starling males select green nest material by olfaction using experience-independent and experience-dependent cues. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Clucas B, Rowe MP, Owings DH, Arrowood PC. Snake scent application in ground squirrels, Spermophilus spp.: a novel form of antipredator behaviour? Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Orosz SE, Bradshaw GA. Avian neuroanatomy revisited: from clinical principles to avian cognition. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract 2007; 10:775-802, vi. [PMID: 17765848 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvex.2007.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Several significant advances in understanding brain-behavior development have made a critical contribution to clinical assessment of companion birds. First, psychobiological health and its dysfunctions now are understood as the product of nature and nurture and therefore exquisitely sensitive to stressors effected by altered socio-ecological conditions within and across generations. Second, discoveries associated with avian brain evolution and ethology show that emotional and cognitive capacities of birds are comparable to mammals. This article presents an overview of these new perspectives and, following, discusses specific, clinically relevant anatomy of the avian central nervous system. By understanding the location of these tracts and their function and the location of the cranial nerves and their nuclei in the brain stem, the clinician can understand and perform the neurological examination, better interpret findings, and localize lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Orosz
- Bird and Exotic Pet Wellness Center, 5166 Monroe Street, Suite 305, Toledo, OH 43623, USA.
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Abstract
This report presents the first quantitative estimates of emission rates for chemical signals in a bird-the crested auklet (Aethia cristatella). Volatile emissions from live birds were captured in a purified airstream onto polymer traps. Traps were eluted with methanol and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The volatile collection chamber was field-calibrated with an in-line bubbler and synthetic octanal, the dominant constituent of the crested auklet's citruslike odor. The result is an index of volatile chemical emissions within a small population of wild crested auklets at Big Koniuji Island, AK, USA. The average emission rate for octanal was 5.7 micro l/50 min. Males and females did not differ in their emission rates (t ((0.05)two-tailed) = 0.44, P = 0.66). There was a sevenfold difference between minimum and maximum emission rates. Prevalence of tick infection (2%) was low despite the high abundance of ticks in the colony. The crested auklet with the lowest chemical emission rate was heavily parasitized by ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector D Douglas
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 9970, USA.
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Słomczyński R, Kaliński A, Wawrzyniak J, Bańbura M, Skwarska J, Zieliński P, Bańbura J. Effects of experimental reduction in nest micro-parasite and macro-parasite loads on nestling hemoglobin level in blue tits Parus caeruleus. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2006.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Veiga JP, Polo V, Vinuela J. Nest Green Plants as a Male Status Signal and Courtship Display in the Spotless Starling. Ethology 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01148.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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