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Raška J, Chalušová K, Krajiček J, Čabala R, Bosáková Z, Štys P, Exnerová A. Ontogenetic change in effectiveness of chemical defence against different predators in Oxycarenus true bugs. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1050-1064. [PMID: 37428808 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Many prey species change their antipredator defence during ontogeny, which may be connected to different potential predators over the life cycle of the prey. To test this hypothesis, we compared reactions of two predator taxa - spiders and birds - to larvae and adults of two invasive true bug species, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis and Oxycarenus lavaterae (Heteroptera: Oxycarenidae) with life-stage-specific chemical defence mechanisms. The reactions to larvae and adults of both true bug species strikingly differed between the two predator taxa. The spiders were deterred by the defences of adult bugs, but the larval defences were ineffective against them. By contrast, birds attacked the larvae considerably less often than the adult bugs. The results indicate a predator-specific ontogenetic change in defence effectiveness of both Oxycarenus species. The change in defence is likely linked to the life-stage-specific composition of secretions in both species: whereas secretions of larvae are dominated by unsaturated aldehydes, secretions of adults are rich in terpenoids, which probably serve dual function of defensive chemicals and pheromones. Our results highlight the variation in defence between different life stages and the importance of testing responses of different types of predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raška
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Chalušová
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Krajiček
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Radomír Čabala
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Bosáková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Štys
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
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Robinson ML, Weber MG, Freedman MG, Jordan E, Ashlock SR, Yonenaga J, Strauss SY. Macroevolution of protective coloration across caterpillars reflects relationships with host plants. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222293. [PMID: 36651051 PMCID: PMC9845978 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A critical function of animal coloration is avoiding attack, either by warning predators or reducing detectability. Evolution of these divergent strategies may depend on prey palatability and apparency to predators: conspicuous coloration may be favoured if species are distasteful, or habitats make hiding difficult; by contrast, camouflage may be effective if prey lack defences or environments are visually complex. For insect herbivores, host plants provide both chemical defence and the background against which they are detected or obscured; thus, plant traits may be key to coloration in these foundational terrestrial organisms. We use 1808 species of larval Lepidoptera to explore macroevolution of protective coloration strategy. We find that colour and pattern evolve jointly in caterpillars, similar to an array of species across the animal kingdom, while individual elements of coloration evolve closely with diet ecology. Consistent with key tenets of plant defence and plant-herbivore coevolutionary theory, conspicuous colours are associated with herbaceous host plants-thought to be defended by toxins-while camouflage colours and patterns are associated with woody plants and grasses. Contrary to theory, dietary specialization is not associated with conspicuous coloration. Our results add valuable insights into the evolutionary forces shaping colour and pattern in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moria L. Robinson
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA,Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| | - Marjorie G. Weber
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Micah G. Freedman
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Evan Jordan
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sarah R. Ashlock
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jenna Yonenaga
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sharon Y. Strauss
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Berlin, 14193, Germany,Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, CA 95616, USA
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Clever pest control? The role of cognition in biological pest regulation. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:189-197. [PMID: 36526865 PMCID: PMC9877098 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01731-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Crop pest management is a global challenge. Increases in agricultural intensity due to anthropogenic demands, alongside the need to reduce the reliance on pesticides to minimize environmental harm, have resulted in an urgent need to improve and expand other methods of pest control. One increasingly utilized method is biological pest control, in which natural pest predators are used to regulating crop pests. Current approaches to biological pest regulation assess the importance of a pest controller by examining its ability to maintain pest populations over an extended period. However, this approach lacks efficiency, specificity, and efficacy because it does not take into account crucial factors which determine how predators find, evaluate and remember food sources-the cognitive processes underlying their behavior. This review will investigate the cognitive factors involved in biological pest control and examine how these factors may be manipulated to impact pest behavior and pest controller performance.
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Segovia JMG, Pekár S. Aversive reactions of two invertebrate predators to European red–black insects. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
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De Meester G, Baeckens S. Reinstating reptiles: from clueless creatures to esteemed models of cognitive biology. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Non-avian reptiles have long been neglect in cognitive science due to their reputation as slow and inflexible learners, but fortunately, this archaic view on reptile cognition is changing rapidly. The last two decades have witnessed a renewed interest in the cognitive capacities of reptiles, and more ecologically relevant protocols have been designed to measure such abilities. Now, we appreciate that reptiles possess an impressive set of cognitive skills, including problem-solving abilities, fast and flexible learning, quantity discrimination, and even social learning. This special issue highlights current research on reptiles in cognitive biology and showcases the diversity of research questions that can be answered by using reptiles as study model. Here, we briefly address (the key results of) the contributing articles and their role in the endeavour for total inclusion of reptiles in cognitive biological research, which is instrumental for our understanding of the evolution of animal cognition. We also discuss and illustrate the promising potential of reptiles as model organisms in various areas of cognitive research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles De Meester
- Functional Morphology Lab, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Simon Baeckens
- Functional Morphology Lab, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Belgium
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De Meester G, Sfendouraki-Basakarou A, Pafilis P, Van Damme R. Dealing with the unexpected: the effect of environmental variability on behavioural flexibility in a Mediterranean lizard. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Harsh and variable environments have been hypothesized to both drive and constrain the evolution towards higher cognitive abilities and behavioural flexibility. In this study, we compared the cognitive abilities of island and mainland Aegean wall lizards (Podarcis erhardii), which were expected to live in respectively a more variable and a more stable habitat. We used four proxies of behavioural flexibility: a neophobia assay, a problem-solving test and a spatial + reversal learning task. Surprisingly, the two populations did not differ in neophobia or problem-solving. Insular lizards, however, outperformed mainland conspecifics in an initial spatial learning task, but were less successful during the subsequent reversal learning. Our results thus seem to indicate that the effect of environmental variability on cognition is complex, as it may favour some, but not all aspects of behavioural flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles De Meester
- Department of Biology, Functional Morphology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alkyoni Sfendouraki-Basakarou
- Department of Biology, Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Department of Biology, Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Raoul Van Damme
- Department of Biology, Functional Morphology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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Pettit L, Ward-Fear G, Shine R. Choose your meals carefully if you need to coexist with a toxic invader. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21866. [PMID: 33318615 PMCID: PMC7736869 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78979-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vulnerable native species may survive the impact of a lethally toxic invader by changes in behaviour, physiology and/or morphology. The roles of such mechanisms can be clarified by standardised testing. We recorded behavioural responses of monitor lizards (Varanus panoptes and V. varius) to legs of poisonous cane toads (Rhinella marina) and non-toxic control meals (chicken necks or chicken eggs and sardines) along 1300 and 2500 km transects, encompassing the toad's 85-year invasion trajectory across Australia as well as yet-to-be-invaded sites to the west and south of the currently colonised area. Patterns were identical in the two varanid species. Of monitors that consumed at least one prey type, 96% took control baits whereas toad legs were eaten by 60% of lizards in toad-free sites but 0% from toad-invaded sites. Our survey confirms that the ability to recognise and reject toads as prey enables monitor lizards to coexist with cane toads. As toxic invaders continue to impact ecosystems globally, it is vital to understand the mechanisms that allow some taxa to persist over long time-scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Pettit
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Georgia Ward-Fear
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2019, Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2019, Australia
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