1
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Fukuda M, Ujiie R, Inoue T, Chen Q, Cao C, Ding L, Mori N, Mori A. Do predators prefer toxic animals? A case of chemical discrimination by an Asian snake that sequesters firefly toxins. Curr Zool 2021; 68:627-634. [PMID: 36743225 PMCID: PMC9892790 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several Asian natricine snakes of the genus Rhabdophis feed on toads and sequester steroidal cardiac toxins known as bufadienolides (BDs) from them. A recent study revealed that species of the Rhabdophis nuchalis Group ingest lampyrine fireflies to sequester BDs. Although several species of fireflies are distributed in the habitat of the R. nuchalis Group, only lampyrine fireflies, which have BDs, are included in the diet of these snakes. Thus, we hypothesized that the R. nuchalis Group chemically distinguishes fireflies that have BDs from those that do not have BDs. We also predicted that the R. nuchalis Group detects BDs as the chemical cue of toxin source. To test these predictions, we conducted 3 behavioral experiments using Rhabdophis chiwen, which belongs to the R. nuchalis Group. In the first experiment, R. chiwen showed a moderate tongue flicking response to cinobufagin, a compound of BDs. On the other hand, the snake showed a higher response to the chemical stimuli of lampyrine fireflies (BD fireflies) than those of lucioline fireflies (non-BD fireflies). In the second experiment, in which we provided live BD and non-BD fireflies, the snake voluntarily consumed only the former. In the third, a Y-maze experiment, the snake tended to select the chemical trail of BD fireflies more frequently than that of non-BD fireflies. These results demonstrated that R. chiwen discriminates BD fireflies from non-BD fireflies, but the prediction that BDs are involved in this discrimination was not fully supported. To identify the proximate mechanisms of the recognition of novel toxic prey in the R. nuchalis Group, further investigation is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaya Fukuda
- Address correspondence to Masaya Fukuda and Qin Chen. E-mail: and E-mail:
| | - Rinako Ujiie
- Department of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takato Inoue
- Department of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Qin Chen
- Address correspondence to Masaya Fukuda and Qin Chen. E-mail: and E-mail:
| | - Chengquan Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, Sichuan 614000, China
| | - Li Ding
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Naoki Mori
- Department of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Akira Mori
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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2
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Ortiz D, Pekár S, Dianat M. Phylogenomics and loci dropout patterns of deeply diverged Zodarion ant-eating spiders suggest a high potential of RAD-seq for genus-level spider phylogenetics. Cladistics 2021; 38:320-334. [PMID: 34699083 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
RAD sequencing yields large amounts of genome-wide data at a relatively low cost and without requiring previous taxon-specific information, making it ideal for evolutionary studies of highly diversified and neglected organisms. However, concerns about information decay with phylogenetic distance have discouraged its use for assessing supraspecific relationships. Here, using Double Digest Restriction Associated DNA (ddRAD) data, we perform the first deep-level approach to the phylogeny of Zodarion, a highly diversified spider genus. We explore the impact of loci and taxon filtering across concatenated and multispecies coalescent reconstruction methods and investigate the patterns of information dropout in reference to both the time of divergence and the mitochondrial divergence between taxa. We found that relaxed loci-filtering and nested taxon-filtering strategies maximized the amount of molecular information and improved phylogenetic inference. As expected, there was a clear pattern of allele dropout towards deeper time and mitochondrial divergences, but the phylogenetic signal remained strong throughout the phylogeny. Therefore, we inferred topologies that were almost fully resolved, highly supported, and noticeably congruent between setups and inference methods, which highlights overall inconsistency in the taxonomy of Zodarion. Because Zodarion appears to be among the oldest and most mitochondrially diversified spider genera, our results suggest that ddRAD data show high potential for inferring intra-generic relationships across spiders and probably also in other taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ortiz
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czechia
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czechia
| | - Malahat Dianat
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czechia
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3
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Ortiz D, Pekár S, Bilat J, Alvarez N. Poor performance of DNA barcoding and the impact of RAD loci filtering on the species delimitation of an Iberian ant-eating spider. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 154:106997. [PMID: 33164854 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Genomic data provide unprecedented power for species delimitation. However, current implementations are still time and resource consuming. In addition, bioinformatic processing is contentious and its impact on downstream analyses is insufficiently understood. Here we employ ddRAD sequencing and a thorough sampling for species delimitation in Zodarion styliferum, a widespread Iberian ant-eating spider. We explore the influence of the loci filtering strategy on the downstream phylogenetic analyses, genomic clustering and coalescent species delimitation. We also assess the accuracy of one mitochondrial (COI) and one nuclear (ITS) barcode for fast and inexpensive species delineation in the group. Our genomic data strongly support two morphologically cryptic but ecologically divergent lineages, mainly restricted to the central-eastern and western parts of the Iberian Peninsula, respectively. Larger matrices with more missing data showed increased genomic diversity, supporting that bioinformatic strategies to maximize matrix completion disproportionately exclude loci with the highest mutation rates. Moderate loci filtering gave the best results across analyses: although larger matrices returned concatenated phylogenies with higher support, middle-sized matrices performed better in genetic structure analyses. COI displayed high diversity and a conspicuous barcode gap, revealing 13 mitochondrial lineages. Mitonuclear discordance is consistent with ancestral isolation in multiple groups, probably in glacial refugia, followed by range expansion and secondary contact that produced genomic homogenization. Several apparently (unidirectionally) introgressed specimens further challenge the accuracy of species identification through mitochondrial barcodes in the group. Conversely, ITS failed to separate both lineages of Z. styliferum. This study shows an extreme case of mitonuclear discordance that highlights the limitations of single molecular barcodes for species delimitation, even in presence of distinct barcode gaps, and brings new light on the effects of parameterization on shallow-divergence studies using RAD data.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ortiz
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Julia Bilat
- Geneva Natural History Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nadir Alvarez
- Geneva Natural History Museum, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Genetics & Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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4
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Hunt ER, Franks NR, Baddeley RJ. The Bayesian superorganism: externalized memories facilitate distributed sampling. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20190848. [PMID: 32546115 PMCID: PMC7328406 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A key challenge for any animal (or sampling technique) is to avoid wasting time by searching for resources (information) in places already found to be unprofitable. In biology, this challenge is particularly strong when the organism is a central place forager—returning to a nest between foraging bouts—because it is destined repeatedly to cover much the same ground. This problem will be particularly acute if many individuals forage from the same central place, as in social insects such as the ants. Foraging (sampling) performance may be greatly enhanced by coordinating movement trajectories such that each ant (walker) visits separate parts of the surrounding (unknown) space. We find experimental evidence for an externalized spatial memory in Temnothorax albipennis ants: chemical markers (either pheromones or cues such as cuticular hydrocarbon footprints) that are used by nest-mates to mark explored space. We show these markers could be used by the ants to scout the space surrounding their nest more efficiently through indirect coordination. We also develop a simple model of this marking behaviour that can be applied in the context of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods (Baddeley et al. 2019 J. R. Soc. Interface16, 20190162 (doi:10.1098/rsif.2019.0162)). This substantially enhances the performance of standard methods like the Metropolis–Hastings algorithm in sampling from sparse probability distributions (such as those confronted by the ants) with only a little additional computational cost. Our Bayesian framework for superorganismal behaviour motivates the evolution of exploratory mechanisms such as trail marking in terms of enhanced collective information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund R Hunt
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.,School of Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Nigel R Franks
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Roland J Baddeley
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
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5
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Gajski D, Petráková L, Pekár S. Ant‐eating spider maintains specialist diet throughout its ontogeny. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Gajski
- Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
| | - L. Petráková
- Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
| | - S. Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
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6
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Raška J, Štys P, Exnerová A. Perception of olfactory aposematic signals by jumping spiders. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raška
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science; Charles University; Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Štys
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science; Charles University; Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science; Charles University; Praha 2 Czech Republic
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7
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Crump A, Arnott G, Bethell EJ. Affect-Driven Attention Biases as Animal Welfare Indicators: Review and Methods. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:E136. [PMID: 30087230 PMCID: PMC6115853 DOI: 10.3390/ani8080136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention bias describes the differential allocation of attention towards one stimulus compared to others. In humans, this bias can be mediated by the observer's affective state and is implicated in the onset and maintenance of affective disorders such as anxiety. Affect-driven attention biases (ADABs) have also been identified in a few other species. Here, we review the literature on ADABs in animals and discuss their utility as welfare indicators. Despite a limited research effort, several studies have found that negative affective states modulate attention to negative (i.e., threatening) cues. ADABs influenced by positive-valence states have also been documented in animals. We discuss methods for measuring ADAB and conclude that looking time, dot-probe, and emotional spatial cueing paradigms are particularly promising. Research is needed to test them with a wider range of species, investigate attentional scope as an indicator of affect, and explore the possible causative role of attention biases in determining animal wellbeing. Finally, we argue that ADABs might not be best-utilized as indicators of general valence, but instead to reveal specific emotions, motivations, aversions, and preferences. Paying attention to the human literature could facilitate these advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Crump
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Gareth Arnott
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Emily J Bethell
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.
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8
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Calbiague VM, Olivares J, Olivares E, Schmachtenberg O. The Chilean Recluse Spider (Araneae: Sicariidae) Displays Behavioral Responses to Conspecific Odors, but Not to Several General Odorants. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:1435-1439. [PMID: 28499023 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Spiders of the family Sicariidae pose a serious threat to affected populations, and Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet) is considered the most venomous species. Development of nontoxic olfaction-based spider repellents or traps is hindered by a current lack of knowledge regarding olfactory system function in arachnids. In the present study, general plant odorants and conspecific odors were tested for behavioral responses in L. laeta. Although general odorants triggered neither attraction nor aversion, conspecific odor of the opposite sex caused aversion in females, and attraction in males. These results support the presence of a specific olfactory system for the detection of conspecifics in L. laeta, but suggest the absence of a broadly tuned system for general odorant detection in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Manuel Calbiague
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jesus Olivares
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Erick Olivares
- Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
| | - Oliver Schmachtenberg
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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9
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Líznarová E, Pekár S. Metabolic specialisation on preferred prey and constraints in the utilisation of alternative prey in an ant-eating spider. ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:464-470. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Elgar MA, Nash DR, Pierce NE. Eavesdropping on cooperative communication within an ant-butterfly mutualism. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:84. [PMID: 27679457 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1409-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Signalling is necessary for the maintenance of interspecific mutualisms but is vulnerable to exploitation by eavesdropping. While eavesdropping of intraspecific signals has been studied extensively, such exploitation of interspecific signals has not been widely documented. The juvenile stages of the Australian lycaenid butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras, form an obligate association with several species of attendant ants, including Iridomyrmex mayri. Ants protect the caterpillars and pupae, and in return are rewarded with nutritious secretions. Female and male adult butterflies use ants as signals for oviposition and mate searching, respectively. Our experiments reveal that two natural enemies of J. evagoras, araneid spiders and braconid parasitoid wasps, exploit ant signals as cues for increasing their foraging and oviposition success, respectively. Intriguingly, selection through eavesdropping is unlikely to modify the ant signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
| | - David R Nash
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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11
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Bell RD, Roberts JA. Trail-following behavior by males of the wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz). J ETHOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-016-0486-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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12
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Wüst M, Menzel F. I smell where you walked - how chemical cues influence movement decisions in ants. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Wüst
- Inst. of Zoology; Univ. of Mainz; J.-v.-Müller-Weg 6 DE-55099 Mainz Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Inst. of Zoology; Univ. of Mainz; J.-v.-Müller-Weg 6 DE-55099 Mainz Germany
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13
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Binz H, Kraft EF, Entling MH, Menzel F. Behavioral response of a generalist predator to chemotactile cues of two taxonomically distinct prey species. CHEMOECOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-016-0215-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Komatsu T. Diet and predatory behavior of the Asian ant-eating spider, Asceua (formerly Doosia) japonica (Araneae: Zodariidae). SPRINGERPLUS 2016; 5:577. [PMID: 27247874 PMCID: PMC4864800 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-2234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Several spider taxa are specialized to prey on ants. Some species of Zodariidae are known to use specialized tactics to capture ants. In this study, I assessed the diet difference and predatory behavior of the Japanese zodariid Asceua japonica. In a series of surveys, all observed individuals in the field preyed on tiny arboreal ants representing several subfamilies. In addition, the species used tactics similar to those of its European relatives for preying on ants. This is the first observation of myrmecophagy of Zodariidae in East Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Komatsu
- The Kyushu University Museum, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Fukuoka, 812-8581 Japan
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15
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Discovery of a monophagous true predator, a specialist termite-eating spider (Araneae: Ammoxenidae). Sci Rep 2015; 5:14013. [PMID: 26359085 PMCID: PMC4566138 DOI: 10.1038/srep14013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
True predators are characterised by capturing a number of prey items during their lifetime and by being generalists. Some true predators are facultative specialists, but very few species are stenophagous specialists that catch only a few closely related prey types. A monophagous true predator that would exploit a single prey species has not been discovered yet. Representatives of the spider family Ammoxenidae have been reported to have evolved to only catch termites. Here we tested the hypothesis that Ammoxenus amphalodes is a monophagous termite-eater capturing only Hodotermes mossambicus. We studied the trophic niche of A. amphalodes by means of molecular analysis of the gut contents using Next Generation Sequencing. We investigated their willingness to accept alternative prey and observed their specific predatory behaviour and prey capture efficiency. We found all of the 1.4 million sequences were H. mossambicus. In the laboratory A. amphalodes did not accept any other prey, including other termite species. The spiders attacked the lateral side of the thorax of termites and immobilised them within 1 min. The paralysis efficiency was independent of predator:prey size ratio. The results strongly indicate that A. amphalodes is a monophagous prey specialist, specifically adapted to feed on H. mossambicus.
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Pekár S, Toft S. Trophic specialisation in a predatory group: the case of prey-specialised spiders (Araneae). Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 90:744-61. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany & Zoology; Faculty of Science, Masaryk University; Kotlářská 2 611 37 Brno Czech Republic
| | - Søren Toft
- Department of Bioscience; University of Aarhus; Ny Munkegade 116 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
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17
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Binz H, Foitzik S, Staab F, Menzel F. The chemistry of competition: exploitation of heterospecific cues depends on the dominance rank in the community. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Pekár S, Šedo O, Líznarová E, Korenko S, Zdráhal Z. David and Goliath: potent venom of an ant-eating spider (Araneae) enables capture of a giant prey. Naturwissenschaften 2014; 101:533-40. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-014-1189-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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19
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Neuroendocrine changes upon exposure to predator odors. Physiol Behav 2014; 131:149-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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20
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Cárdenas M, Šedo O, Pekár S. Is there ontogenetic shift in the capture traits of a prey-specialized ant-eating spider? J Zool (1987) 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Cárdenas
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - O. Šedo
- Research Group Proteomics; Central European Institute of Technology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - S. Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
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21
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Pekár S, Mayntz D. Comparative analysis of the macronutrient content of Central European ants (Formicidae): implications for ant-eating predators. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 62:32-38. [PMID: 24503220 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Prey nutrient quality determines predator performance. Polyphagous predators can address nutritional challenges by targeting prey with specific nutrient composition, but prey-specialised predators (e.g., ant-eaters), must obtain all nutrients from limited array of prey. Analysis of published data on prey specificity of European ant-eating spiders showed that some feed only on one ant genus, while others feed on several genera. Spiders feeding on several ant genera can possibly balance nutrient intake by selecting different ant prey. But monophagous species must extract all prey from a single prey species and can only vary nutrient intake by feeding on specific body parts. Most ant-eating spider species are catching Formica, Lasius and Messor ants, suggesting that these are most profitable ant species. We evaluated the nutritional content of a variety of 16 Central European ant species belonging to 11 genera and four subfamilies. We found that the nutritional composition, namely the amount of carbon, nitrogen and lipids, of European ants is heterogeneous. The largest variation in the amount of carbon and lipids was among ant subfamilies and species, while the largest variation in nitrogen was among ant genera. The largest amount of carbon and nitrogen was typical for Myrmicinae and the largest amount of lipids were typical for Formicinae. Within ants, the relative amounts of lipids were significantly higher in the gaster while the contents of carbon and nitrogen were highest in foreparts. Ant species did not cluster in the ordination space according to their taxonomic relationship or trophic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - D Mayntz
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Health Science, VIA University College, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
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22
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Phenotypic integration in a series of trophic traits: tracing the evolution of myrmecophagy in spiders (Araneae). ZOOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2012.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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23
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Schulz S. Spider pheromones - a structural perspective. J Chem Ecol 2012; 39:1-14. [PMID: 23269451 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0231-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Revised: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Spiders use pheromones for sexual communication, as do other animals such as insects. Nevertheless, knowledge about their chemical structure, function, and biosynthesis is only now being unraveled. Many studies have shown the existence of spider pheromones, but the responsible compounds have been elucidated in only a few cases. This review focuses on a structural approach because we need to know the involved chemistry if we are to understand fully the function of a pheromonal communication system. Pheromones from members of the spider families Pholcidae, Araneidae, Linyphiidae, Agenelidae, and Ctenidae are currently being identified and will be discussed in this review. Some of these compounds belong to compound classes not known from other arthropod pheromones, such as citric acid derivatives or acylated amino acids, whereas others originate from more common fatty acid metabolism. Their putative biosynthesis, their function, and the identification methods used will be discussed. Furthermore, other semiochemicals and the chemistry of apolar surface lipids that potentially might be used by spiders for communication are described briefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schulz
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
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